v.\»' 


THE 


> 

ODYSSEY  OF  HOMER. 


TRANSLATED  INTO  ENGLISH  BLANK  VERSE 


WILLIAM  CULLEN  BRYANT. 

n 


TWO  VOLUMES  IN  ONE. 


BOSTON : 

HOUGHTON,  MIFFLIN  AND 

Gtl)e  Htoemiie  Iprcss,  Camijrftcj;^ 


BOSTOX  college  library 

CHESTNUT  HILL,  MASS, 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1871, 
BY  JAMES  R.  OSGOOD  &  CO., 
in  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


'■O 


- 


133875 


v 


THE  ODYSSEY  OF  HOMER. 


VOL.  I. 


X 


P  "3 
& 


#  'tt  f 
> 


\ 


I 


» 


PREFACE. 


- « - 

r'T'HE  kind  reception  which  my  translation  of  the 
Iliad  has  met  with  from  my  countrymen  has 
encouraged  me  to  attempt  a  translation  of  the  Odyssey 
in  the  same  form  of  verse.  I  have  found  this  a  not 
unpleasing  employment  for  a  period  of  life  which 
admonishes  me  that  I  cannot  many  times  more  appear 
before  the  public  in  this  or  any  other  manner.  The 
task  of  translating  verse  is  not,  it  is  true,  merely 
mechanical,  since  it  requires  that  the  translator  should 
catch  from  his  author  somewhat  of  the  glow  with 
which  he  wrote,  just  as  a  good  reader  is  himself  moved 
by  the  words  which  he  delivers,  and  communicates  the 
emotion  to  his  hearers  ;  yet  is  the  translator  spared  the 
labor  of  invention,  —  the  task  of  producing  the  ideas 
which  it  is  his  business  to  express,  as  well  as  that  of 
bringing  them  into  their  proper  relations  with  each 
other.  A  great  part  of  the  fatigue  which  attends  origi¬ 
nal  composition,  long  pursued,  is  therefore  avoided, 
and  this  gentler  exercise  of  the  intellectual  faculties 
agrees  better  with  that  stage  of  life  when  the  brain 
begins  to  be  haunted  by  a  presentiment  that  the  time 
of  its  final  repose  is  not  far  off. 

Some  of  the  observations  which  I  have  made,  in  my 
Preface  to  the  Iliad,  on  that  work  and  the  translation 
which  I  have  made  of  it,  apply  also  to  the  Odyssey 
and  to  the  version  which  I  now  lay  before  the  reader. 


IV 


Preface. 


The  differences  between  the  two  poems  have  been  so 
well  pointed  out  by  critics,  that  I  shall  have  occasion 
to  speak  of  but  two  or  three  of  them.  In  executing 
my  task,  I  have  certainly  missed  in  the  Odyssey  the 
fire  and  vehemence  of  which  I  was  so  often  sensible 
in  the  Iliad,  and  the  effect  of  which  naturally  was  to 
kindle  the  mind  of  the  translator.  I  hope  that  the 
version  which  I  have  made  will  not  on  that  account 
be  found  lacking  in  a  sufficient  degree  of  spirit  and 
appearance  of  freedom*  to  make  it  readable.  Another 
peculiarity  of  the  Iliad,  of  a  less  agreeable  nature, 
consists  in  the  frequent  recurrence  of  hand-to-hand 
combats,  in  which  the  more  eminent  warriors  despatch, 
by  the  most  summary  butchery,  and  with  a  fierce 
delight  in  their  own  prowess,  their  weaker  adversaries. 
These  incidents  so  often  occur  in  the  narrative,  being 
thrown  together  in  clusters,  and  described  with  an 
unsparing  minuteness,  that  I  have  known  persons, 
soon  sated  with  these  horrors,  to  pass  over  the  pages 
in  which  they  are  described,  and  take  up  the  narrative 
further  on.  There  is  nothing  of  this  kind  in  the 
Odyssey,  at  least  until  near  the  close,  where  Ulysses 
takes  a  bloody  vengeance  on  the  suitors  who  have 
plundered  his  estate,  and  conspired  to  take  the  life  of 
his  son,  and  in  that  part  of  the  poem  the  horror  which 
so  enormous  a  slaughter  would  naturally  awaken  is 
mitigated  by  the  recollection  of  their  guilt.  The  gods 
of  the  Odyssey  are  not  so  often  moved  by  brutal 
impulses  as  those  of  the  Iliad,  nor  do  they  seem  to 
dwell  in  a  sphere  so  far  removed  from  the  recognition 
of  those  rules  of  right  and  wrong  which  are  respected 
in  human  society.  In  the  composition  of  the  two 
poems,  one  of  the  most  remarkable  differences  is  the 
abundance  of  similes  in  the  Iliad,  and  their  compara¬ 
tively  rare  appearance  in  the  Odyssey.  In  the  Iliad 


Preface. 


v 


the  desire  of  illustrating  his  subject  by  a  similitude 
sometimes  seizes  the  poet  in  the  midst  of  one  of  the 
most  interesting  parts  of  his  narrative,  and  immedi¬ 
ately  there  follows  a  striking  picture  of  some  incident 
bearing  a  certain  resemblance  to  the  one  which  he  is 
relating.  Sometimes,  after  one  simile  is  minutely 
given,  a  second  suggests  itself,  and  is  given  with  equal 
minuteness,  and  there  is  one  instance  at  least  of  a 
third.  It  is  curious  to  mark  what  a  fascination  the 
picturesque  resemblance  of  objects  and  incidents  has 
for  the  poet,  and  how  one  set  of  these  images  draws 
after  it  another,  passing  in  magnificent  procession 
across  the  mirror  of  his  imagination.  In  the  Odyssey 
are  comparatively  few  examples  of  this  mode  of  illus¬ 
tration  ;  the  poet  is  too  much  occupied  with  his  narra¬ 
tive  to  think  of  them.  How  far  this  point  of  difference 
between  the  two  poems  tends  to  support  the  view  of 
those  who  maintain  that  they  could  not  have  pro¬ 
ceeded  from  the  same  author,  is  a  question  on  which  it 
is  not  my  purpose  to  enter. 

In  the  Preface  to  my  version  of  the  Iliad,  I  gave 
very  briefly  my  reason  for  preserving  the  names 
derived  from  the  Latin,  by  which  the  deities  of  the 
Grecian  mythology  have  hitherto  been  known  to  Eng¬ 
lish  readers,  —  that  is  to  say,  Jupiter,  Juno,  Neptune, 
Pluto,  Mars,  Venus,  and  the  rest,  instead  of  Zeus, 
Here,  and  the  other  names  which  are  properly  Greek. 
As  the  propriety  of  doing  this  is  questioned  by  some 
persons  of  exact  scholarship,  I  will  state  the  argument 
a  little  more  at  large.  The  names  I  have  employed 
have  been  given  to  the  gods  and  goddesses  of  ancient 
Greece  from  the  very  beginnings  of  our  language. 
Chaucer,  Spenser,  Shakespeare,  Milton,  and  the  rest, 
down  to  Proctor  and  Keats,  —  a  list  whose  chronology 
extends  through  six  hundred  years,  —  have  followed 


VI 


Preface. 


this  usage,  and  we  may  even  trace  it  back  for  centuries 
before  either  of  them  wrote.  Our  prose  writers  have 
done  the  same  thing ;  the  names  of  Latin  derivation 
have  been  adopted  by  the  earliest  and  latest  translators 
of  the  New  Testament.  To  each  of  the  deities  known 
by  these  names  there  is  annexed  in  the  mind  of  the 
English  reader —  and  it  is  for  the  English  reader  that 
I  have  made  this  translation  —  a  peculiar  set  of  attri¬ 
butes.  Speak  of  Juno  and  Diana,  and  the  mere  Eng¬ 
lish  reader  understands  you  at  once ;  but  when  he 
reads  the  names  of  Her&  and  Artemis,  he  looks  into 
his  classical  dictionary.  The  names  of  Latin  origin 
are  naturalized  ;  the  others  are  aliens  and  strangers. 
The  conjunction  and  itself,  which  has  been  handed 
down  to  us  unchanged  from  our  Saxon  ancestors,  holds 
not  its  place  in  our  language  by  a  firmer  and  more 
incontestable  title  than  the  names  which  we  have  hith¬ 
erto  given  to  the  deities  of  ancient  Greece.  We  derive 
this  usage  from  the  Latin  authors,  —  from  Virgil,  and 
Horace,  and  Ovid,  and  the  prose  writers  of  ancient 
Rome.  Art  as  well  as  poetry  knows  these  deities  by 
the  same  names.  We  talk  of  the  Venus  de  Medicis, 
the  Venus  of  Milo,  the  Jupiter  of  Phidias,  and  never 
think  of  calling  a  statue  of  Mars  a  statue  of  Ares. 

For  my  part,  I  am  satisfied  with  the  English  lan¬ 
guage  as  it  has  been  handed  down  to  us.  If  the  lines 
of  my  translation  had  bristled  with  the  names  of  Zeus 
and  Her&,  and  Poseidon  and  Ares,  and  Artemis  and 
Demeter,  I  should  feel  that  I  had  departed  from  the 
immemorial  usage  of  the  English  tongue,  that  I  had 
introduced  obscurity  where  the  meaning  should  have 
been  plain,  and  that  I  had  given  just  cause  of  com¬ 
plaint  to  the  readers  for  whom  I  wrote. 

W.  C.  BRYANT. 


August,  1871. 


CONTENTS  OF  VOL.  I. 

- ♦ - 

BOOK  I. 

VISIT  OF  PALLAS  TO  TELEMACHUS. 

Page 

A  Council  of  the  Gods-  —  Deliberations  concerning  Ulysses.  — Mer¬ 
cury  despatched  to  Calypso,  to  bid  her  send  Ulysses  to  Ithaca. — 
Visit  of  Pallas,  in  the  Shape  of  Mentor,  to  Telemachus,  advising  him 
to  repair  to  Pylos  and  Sparta  in  Quest  of  his  Father,  Ulysses.  — 
Revels  of  the  Suitors  of  Penelope.  —  Phemius,  the  Minstrel,  and 
his  Song  of  the  Return  of  the  Grecians.  —  The  Suitors  rebuked  by 
Telemachus . . 


BOOK  II. 

DEPARTURE  OF  TELEMACHUS  FROM  ITHACA. 

The  Chief  Men  of  Ithaca  assembled  by  Telemachus.  —  His  Com¬ 
plaint  of  the  Suitors. — Their  Attempt  to  justify  themselves. — 
Prophecy  of  the  Return  of  Ulysses  by  the  Seer,  Halitherses.  — 
Request  of  Telemachus  for  a  Vessel  to  visit  Pylos  and  Sparta,  in 
Quest  of  his  Father,  granted  by  the  Assembly.  —  Preparations  for 
his  Departure  . . 20 


BOOK  III. 

INTERVIEW  OF  TELEMACHUS  WITH  NESTOR. 

Arrival  of  Telemachus,  with  Pallas  in  the  Shape  of  Mentor,  at  Pylos. 

—  His  Interview  with  Nestor. —  Nestor’s  Narrative  of  his  Return 
from  Troy.  —  History  of  the  Death  of  Agamemnon  and  the  Re¬ 
venge  of  Orestes.  —  Departure  of  Pallas  to  Heaven.  —  Telema¬ 
chus  sent  by  Nestor  with  his  Son  Peisistratus  to  Menelaus  at 
Sparta . 39 


Vlll 


Contents. 


BOOK  IV. 

CONFERENCE  OF  TELEMACHUS  AND  MENELAUS. 

Arrival  of  Telemachus  and  his  Companion  at  Sparta.  —  A  Wedding  ; 
the  Marriage  of  the  Daughter  of  Menelaus.  —  Helen  in  Sparta.  — 
Entertainment  of  the  Guests.  —  Helen’s  Account  of  her  Return  to 
her  Husband. — The  Trojan  Horse. —  Narrative  of  the  Visit  of 
Menelaus  to  Egypt,  in  Order  to  consult  the  Sea-God,  Proteus. — 
Menelaus  informed  by  him  that  Ulysses  is  detained  by  Calypso  in 
her  Island.  —  Plot  of  ihe  Suitors  to  lie  in  Wait  for  Telemachus  on 
his  Voyage  and  destroy  him.  —  Penelope  visited  and  consoled  by 
Pallas  in  a  Dream . .  .  .  .62 


BOOK  V. 

DEPARTURE  OF  ULYSSES  FROM  CALYPSO. 

• 

Mercury  despatched  by  Jupiter  to  Calypso  with  a  Message  command¬ 
ing  her  to  send  away  Ulysses.  —  A  Raft  constructed  by  Ulysses.  — 

His  Departure  on  the  Raft.  —  A  Storm  raised  by  Neptune,  and  the 
Raft  destroyed.  —  Escape  of  Ulysses  from  the  Tempest,  and  his 
Landing  on  the  Isle  of  Scheria,  inhabited  by  the  Phsacians  .  .  100 


BOOK  VI. 

ULYSSES  DISCOVERED  BY  NAUSICAA. 

O', 

Nausicaa,  Daughter  of  Alcinoiis,  King  of  the  Phaeacians,  directed  by 
Pallas  to  go  to  the  River  and  wash  her  Marriage  Robes. —  Sports 
of  her  Maidens  after  the  Washing  is  performed.  —  Ulysses  awak¬ 
ened  by  the  Noise,  relieved  and  clothed  by  Nausicaa,  and  bidden 
to  follow  her  into  the  City,  and  there  make  his  Suit  to  the  Queen, 
the  Wife  of  Alcinoiis . . 


BOOK  VII. 

■7  . 

RECEPTION  OF  ULYSSES  BY  ALCINOUS. 

Return  of  Nausicaa  to  the  City,  followed  by  Ulysses  —  Palace  and 
Garden  of  Alcinoiis.  —  Reception  of  Ulysses  by  the  Queen  and  her 
Husband.  — Narrative  given  by  Ulysses  of  his  Voyage  and  Ship¬ 
wreck  . . .  ....  136 


Contents. 


IX 


BOOK  VIII. 

FESTIVALS  IN  HONOR  OF  ULYSSES. 

A  General  Council  of  the  Phseacians,  in  which  it  is  determined  to 
send  Ulysses  home  to  Ithaca. — A  Solemn  Feast. —  Lay  of  the 
Trojan  War,  sung  by  Demodocus,  the  Minstrel-  —  Public  Games. 

—  Ulysses  conquers  in  throwing  the  Discus.  —  The  Amour  of 
Mars  and  Venus  sung  by  Demodocus.  —  His  Song  of  the  Trojan 
Horse  and  the  Fall  of  Troy . 151 


BOOK  IX. 

THE  CICONIANS,  LOTUS-EATERS,  AND  CYCLOPS. 

The  Adventures  of  Ulysses  after  the  Fall  of  Troy  related  by  him  at 
the  Request  of  Alcinoiis.  —  His  Attack  on  the  Ciconians  and  the 
Destruction  of  their  City.  —  Rally  and  Reinforcement  of  the  Cico¬ 
nians,  who  slaughter  many  of  the  Companions  of  Ulysses.  —  The 
Lotus-Eaters,  who  subsist  on  Flowers.  —  Arrival  of  Ulysses  at  the 
Land  of  the  Cyclops.  —  Polyphemus  and  his  Barbarities. "= —  Re¬ 
venge  of  Ulysses,  who  puts  out  the  single  Eye  of  Polyphemus 
and  escapes . 176 


BOOK  X. 

AiOLUS,  THE  LESTRIGONIANS,  AND  CIRCE. 

Arrival  of  Ulysses  at  the  Land  of  .Eolus,  who  gives  him  the  Winds 
in  a  Bag.  —  Folly  of  the  Seamen,  who  untie  the  Bag  while  Ulysses 
is  asleep.  —  A  Tempest.  —  Disastrous  Encounter  with  the  Gigantic 
Laestrigons.  —  Arrival  at  the  Island  of  Circe.  —  Transformation  of 
the  Greeks  to  Swine,  and  Recovery  of  their  former  Shape.  —  Prep¬ 
arations  for  a  Journey  to  the  Region  of  the  Dead  .  .  .  .199 


BOOK  XI. 

VISIT  OF  ULYSSES  TO  THE  LAND  OF  THE  DEAD. 

Voyage  to  the  Land  of  the  Dead. —  Interview  with  Tiresias,  the 
Seer.  — The  Heroes  and  Heroines  whom  Ulysses  saw  there. —  In¬ 
terview  with  his  Mother,  and  with  Agamemnon,  Achilles,  and 
others.  —  Occupations  of  the  Dead.  —  Punishments  of  the  Guilty  .  224 


X 


Contents . 


BOOK  XII. 

THE  SIRENS,  SCYLLA  AND  CHARYBDIS. 

Return  of  Ulysses  to  the  Island  of  Circe. — 1  Her  Counsels  respecting 
his  Homeward  Voyage.  —  The  Sirens.  —  Escape  from  Scylla  and 
Charybdis.  —  His  Arrival  at  Trinacria.  —  Slaughter  of  the  Oxen  of 
the  Sun  by  his  Companions. — A  Tempest  in  Consequence,  by 
which  his  Companions  all  perish,  and  he  only  escapes  by  swimming 
to  the  Island  of  Calypso . 


252 


THE 


ODYSSEY. 


- « - 

BOOK  I . 

TELL  me,  O  Muse,  of  that  sagacious  man 
Who,  having  overthrown  the  sacred  town 
Of  Ilium,  wandered  far  and  visited 
The  capitals  of  many  nations,  learned 
The  customs  of  their  dwellers,  and  endured  s 

Great  suffering  on  the  deep  :  his  life  was  oft 
In  peril,  as  he  labored  to  bring  back 
His  comrades  to  their  homes.  He  saved  them  not, 
Though  earnestly  he  strove  ;  they  perished  all, 
Through  their  own  folly  ;  for  they  banqueted,  10 
Madmen  !  upon  the  oxen  of  the  Sun, — 

The  all-o’erlooking  Sun,  who  cut  them  off 
From  their  return.  O  goddess,  virgin-child 
Of  Jove,  relate  some  part  of  this  to  me. 

Now  all  the  rest,  as  many  as  escaped  is 

The  cruel  doom  of  death,  were  at  their  homes 
Safe  from  the  perils  of  the  war  and  sea, 

While  him  alone,  who  pined  to  see  his  home 
And  wife  again,  Calypso,  queenly  nymph, 


VOL.  i. 


i 


A 


2 


The  Odyssey. 


Great  among  goddesses,  detained  within  20 

Her  spacious  grot,  in  hope  that  he  might  yet 
Become  her  husband.  Even  when  the  years 
Brought  round  the  time  in  which  the  gods  decreed 
That  he  should  reach  again  his  dwelling-place 
In  Ithaca,  though  he  was  with  his  friends,  25 

His  toils  were  not  yet  ended.  Of  the  gods 
All  pitied  him  save  Neptune,  who  pursued 
With  wrath  implacable  the  godlike  chief, 

Ulvsses,  even  to  his  native  land. 

Among  the  Ethiopians  was  the  god  30 

Far  off,  — the  Ethiopians  most  remote 
Of  men.  Two  tribes  there  are  ;  one  dwells  beneath 
The  rising,  one  beneath  the  setting  sun. 

He  went  to  grace  a  hecatomb  of  beeves 

And  lambs,  and  sat  delighted  at  the  feast ;  35 

While  in  the  palace  of  Olympian  Jove 

The  other  gods  assembled,  and  to  them 

The  father  of  immortals  and  of  men 

Was  speaking.  To  his  mind  arose  the  thought 

Of  that  Hlgisthus  whom  the  famous  son  40 

Of  Agamemnon,  Prince  Orestes,  slew. 

Of  him  he  thought  and  thus  bespake  the  gods  :  — 

“  How  strange  it  is  that  mortals  blame  the  gods 
And  say  that  we  inflict  the  ills  they  bear, 

When  they,  by  their  own  folly  and  against  43 

The  will  of  fate,  bring  sorrow  on  themselves  ! 

As  late  AEgisthus,  unconstrained  by  fate, 

Married  the  queen  of  Atreus’  son  and  slew 


Book  I. 


3 


The  husband  just  returned  from  war.  Yet  well 
He  knew  the  bitter  penalty,  for  we  s° 

Warned  him.  We  sent  the  herald  Argicide, 
Bidding  him  neither  slay  the  chief  nor  woo 
His  queen,  for  that  Orestes,  when  he  came 
To  manhood  and  might  claim  his  heritage, 

Would  take  due  vengeance  for  Atrides  slain.  55 
So  Hermes  said  ;  his  prudent  words  moved  not 
The  purpose  of  /Egisthus,  who  now  pays 
The  forfeit  of  his  many  crimes  at  once.” 

Pallas,  the  blue-eyed  goddess,  thus  replied  :  — 

“  O  father,  son  of  Saturn,  king  of  kings  ! 

Well  he  deserved  his  death.  So  perish  all 
Guilty  of  deeds  like  his  !  But  I  am  grieved 
For  sage  Ulysses,  that  most  wretched  man, 

So  long  detained,  repining,  and  afar 

From  those  he  loves,  upon  a  distant  isle  65 

Girt  by  the  waters  of  the  central  deep,  — 

A  forest  isle,  where  dwells  a  deity 
The  daughter  of  wise  Atlas,  him  who  knows 
The  ocean  to  its  utmost  depths,  and  holds 
Upright  the  lofty  columns  which  divide  73 

The  earth  from  heaven.  The  daughter  there  detains 
The  unhappy  chieftain,  and  with  flattering  words 
Would  win  him  to  forget  his  Ithaca. 

Meanwhile,  impatient  to  behold  the  smokes 
That  rise  from  hearths  in  his  own  land,  he  pines  7s 
And  willingly  would  die.  Is  not  thy  heart, 
Olympius,  touched  by  this  ?  And  did  he  not 


4 


The  Odyssey. 


Pay  grateful  sacrifice  to  thee  beside 

The  Argive  fleet  in  the  broad  realm  of  Troy  ? 

Why  then,  O  Jove,  art  thou  so  wroth  with  him  ?  ”  s0 

Then  answered  cloud-compelling  Jove :  “  My 
child, 

What  words  have  passed  thy  lips  ?  Can  I  forget 
Godlike  Ulysses,  who  in  gifts  of  mind 
Excels  all  other  men,  and  who  has  brought 
Large  offerings  to  the  gods  that  dwell  in  heaven  ?  85 
Yet  he  who  holds  the  earth  in  his  embrace, 
Neptune,  pursues  him  with  perpetual  hate 
Because  of  Polypheme,  the  Cyclops,  strong 
Beyond  all  others  of  his  giant  race, 

Whose  eye  Ulysses  had  put  out.  The  nymph  9° 
Thoosa  brought  him  forth,  —  a  daughter  she 
Of  Phorcys,  ruling  in  the  barren  deep,  — 

And  in  the  covert  of  o’erhanging  rocks 
She  met  with  Neptune.  For  this  cause  the  god 
Who  shakes  the  shores,  although  he  slay  him  not,  95 
Sends  forth  Ulysses  wandering  far  away 
From  his  own  country.  Let  us  now  consult 
Together  and  provide  for  his  return, 

And  Neptune  will  lay  by  his  wrath,  for  vain 
It  were  for  one  like  him  to  strive  alone  wo 

Against  the  might  of  all  the  immortal  gods.” 

And  then  the  blue-eyed  Pallas  spake  again  :  — 

“  O  father  !  son  of  Saturn,  king  of  kings  ! 

If  such  the  pleasure  of  the  blessed  gods 
That  now  the  wise  Ulysses  shall  return 


10s 


Book  I. 


5 


To  his  own  land,  let  us  at  once  despatch 
Hermes,  the  Argicide,  our  messenger, 

Down  to  Ogygia,  to  the  bright-haired  nymph, 

And  make  our  steadfast  purpose  known  to  bring 
The  sufferer  Ulysses  to  his  home,  no 

And  I  will  haste  to  Ithaca,  and  move 
His  son,  that  with  a  resolute  heart  he  call 
The  long-haired  Greeks  together  and  forbid 
The  excesses  of  the  suitor  train,  who  slay 
His  flocks  and  slow-paced  beeves  with  crooked 
horns.  u5 

To  Sparta  I  will  send  him  and  the  sands 
Of  Pylos,  to  inquire  for  the  return 
Of  his  dear  father.  So  a  glorious  fame 
Shall  gather  round  him  in  the  eyes  of  men.” 

She  spake,  and  fastened  underneath  her  feet 
The  fair,  ambrosial  golden  sandals  worn 
To  bear  her  over  ocean  like  the  wind, 

And  o’er  the  boundless  land.  In  hand  she  took, 
Well  tipped  with  trenchant  brass,  the  mighty  spear, 
Heavy  and  huge  and  strong,  with  which  she  bears  12s 
Whole  phalanxes  of  heroes  to  the  earth, 

When  she,  the  daughter  of  a  mighty  sire, 

Is  angered.  From  the  Olympian  heights  she 
plunged, 

And  stood  among  the  men  of  Ithaca, 

Just  at  the  porch  and  threshold  of  their  chief,  130 
Ulysses.  In  her  hand  she  bore  the  spear, 

And  seemed  the  stranger  Mentes,  he  who  led 


6 


The  Odyssey. 


The  Taphians.  There  before  the  gate  she  found 
The  haughty  suitors.  Some  beguiled  the  time  134 
With  draughts,  while  sitting  on  the  hides  of  beeves 
Which  they  had  slaughtered.  Heralds  were  with 
them, 

And  busy  menials  :  some  who  in  the  bowls 
Tempered  the  wine  with  water,  some  who  cleansed 
The  tables  with  light  sponges,  and  who  set 
The  banquet  forth  and  carved  the  meats  for  all.  140 
Telemachus  the  godlike  was  the  first 
To  see  the  goddess  as  he  sat  among 
The  crowd  of  suitors,  sad  at  heart,  and  thought 
Of  his  illustrious  father,  who  might  come 
And  scatter  those  who  filled  his  palace  halls,  143 
And  win  new  honor,  and  regain  the  rule 
>Over  his  own.  As  thus  he  sat  and  mused 
Among  the  suitors,  he  beheld  where  stood 
Pallas,  and  forth  he  sprang  ;  he  could  not  bear 
To  keep  a  stranger  waiting  at  his  door.  15° 

He  came,  and  taking  her  right  hand  received 
The  brazen  spear,  and  spake  these  winged  words  :  — 
“  Hail,  stranger  !  thou  art  truly  welcome  here  ; 
First  come  and  share  our  feast  and  be  refreshed, 
Then  say  what  thou  requirest  at  our  hands.”  iss 
He  spake  and  led  the  way,  and  in  his  steps 
Pallas  Athene  followed.  Entering  then 
The  lofty  halls,  he  set  the  spear  upright 
By  a  tall  column,  in  the  armory 
With  polished  walls,  where  rested  many  a  lance  160 


Book  I. 


7 


Of  the  large  -souled  Ulysses.  Then  he  placed 
His  guest  upon  a  throne,  o’er  which  he  spread 
A  covering  many-hued  and  beautiful, 

And  gave  her  feet  a  footstool.  Near  to  her 
He  drew  his  party-colored  seat,  aloof  165 

From  where  the  suitors  sat ;  that  so  his  guest 
Might  not  amid  those  haughty  revellers 
Be  wearied  with  the  tumult  and  enjoy 
His  meal  the  less,  and  that  himself  might  ask 
News  of  his  absent  father.  In  a  bowl  170 

Of  silver,  from  a  shapely  ewer  of  gold, 

A  maid  poured  water  for  the  hands,  and  set 
A  polished  table  near  them.  Then  approached 
A  venerable  matron  bringing  bread 
And  delicacies  gathered  from  the  board  ;  17s 

And  he  who  served  the  feast  before  them  placed 
Chargers  with  various  meats,  and  cups  of  gold  ; 
While  round  the  board  a  herald  moved,  and  poured 
Wine  for  the  guests.  The  haughty  suitors  now 
Came  in,  and  took  their  places  on  the  thrones  180 
And  couches  ;  heralds  poured  upon  their  hands 
The  water ;  maidens  heaped  the  canisters 
With  bread,  and  all  put  forth  their  hands  to  share 
The  banquet  on  the  board,  while  to  the  brim 
Boys  filled  the  beakers.  When  the  calls  of  thirst  185 
And  hunger  were  appeased,  the  suitors  thought 
Of  other  things  that  well  become  a  feast,  — 

Song  and  the  dance.  And  then  a  herald  brought 
A  shapely  harp,  and  gave  it  to  the  hands 


8 


The  Odyssey. 


Of  Phemius,  who  had  only  by  constraint  rgo 

Sung  to  the  suitors.  On  the  chords  he  struck 
A  prelude  to  his  lay,  while,  as  he  played, 
Telemachus,  that  others  might  not  hear, 

Leaned  forward,  and  to  blue-eyed  Pallas  spake  :  — 
“My  friend  and  guest,  wilt  thou  take  no  offence  *95 
At  what  I  say  ?  These  revellers  enjoy 
The  harp  and  song,  for  at  no  cost  of  theirs 
They  waste  the  substance  of  another  man, 

Whose  white  bones  now  are  mouldering  in  the  rain 
Upon  some  main-land,  or  are  tossed  about  200 
By  ocean  billows.  Should  they  see  him  once 
In  Ithaca,  their  prayers  would  rather  rise 
For  swifter  feet  than  richer  stores  of  gold 
And  raiment.  But  an  evil  fate  is  his, 

And  he  has  perished.  Even  should  we  hear  205 
From  any  of  the  dwellers  upon  earth 
That  he  is  near  at  hand,  we  could  not  hope. 

For  him  is  no  return.  But  now,  I  pray, 

Tell  me,  and  frankly  tell  me,  who  thou  art, 

And  of  what  race  of  men,  and  where  thy  home, 

And  who  thy  parents  ;  how  the  mariners 
Brought  thee  to  Ithaca,  and  who  they  claim 
To  be,  for  well  I  deem  thou  couldst  not  come 
Hither  on  foot.  All  this,  I  pray,  relate 
Truly,  that  I  may  know  the  whole.  Art  thou  215 
For  the  first  time  arrived,  or  hast  thou  been 
My  father’s  guest  ?  for  many  a  stranger  once 
Resorted  to  our  palace,  and  he  knew 


Book  I. 


The  way  to  win  the  kind  regard  of  men.” 

Pallas,  the  blue-eyed  goddess,  answered  thus  : 
“  I  will  tell  all  and  truly.  I  am  named 
Mentes  ;  my  father  was  the  great  in  war 
Anchialus.  I  rule  a  people  skilled 
To  wield  the  oar,  the  Taphians,  and  I  come 
With  ship  and  crew  across  the  dark  blue  deep 
To  Temese,  and  to  a  race  w'hose  speech 
Is  different  from  my  own,  in  quest  of  brass, 

And  bringing  bright  steel  with  me.  I  have  left 
Moored  at  the  field  behind  the  town  my  bark, 
Within  the  bay  of  Reithrus,  and  beneath 
The  woods  of  Neius.  We  claim  to  be 
Guests  by  descent,  and  from  our  fathers’  time, 

As  thou  wilt  learn  if  thou  shouldst  meet  and  ask 
Laertes,  the  old  hero.  It  is  said 
He  comes  no  more  within  the  city  walls, 

But  in  the  fields  dwells  sadly  by  himself, 

Where  an  old  handmaid  sets  upon  his  board 
His  food  and  drink  when  weariness  unnerves 
His  limbs  in  creeping  o’er  the  fertile  soil 
Of  his  rich  vineyard.  I  am  come  because 
I  heard  thy  father  had  at  last  returned, 

And  now  am  certain  that  the  gods  delay 
His  journey  hither  ;  for  the  illustrious  man 
Cannot  have  died,  but  is  detained  alone 
Somewhere  upon  the  ocean,  in  some  spot 
Girt  by  the  waters.  There  do  cruel  men 
And  savage  keep  him,  pining  to  depart 


IO 


The  Odyssey. 


Now  let  me  speak  of  what  the  gods  reveal, 

And  what  I  deem  will  surely  come  to  pass, 
Although  I  am  no  seer  and  have  no  skill 
In  omens  drawn  from  birds.  Not  long  the  chief 
Will  be  an  exile  from  his  own  dear  land, 

Though  fettered  to  his  place  by  links  of  steel ; 
For  he  has  large  invention,  and  will  plan 
A  way  for  his  escape.  Now  tell  me  this, 

And  truly  ;  tall  in  stature  as  thou  art, 

Art  thou  in  fact  Ulysses’  son  ?  In  face 
And  glorious  eyes  thou  dost  resemble  him 
Exceedingly ;  for  he  and  I  of  yore 
Were  oftentimes  companions,  ere  he  sailed 
For  Ilium,  whither  also  went  the  best 
Among  the  Argives  in  their  roomy  ships, 

Nor  have  we  seen  each  other  since  that  day.” 

Telemachus,  the  prudent,  spake  :  “  O  guest, 
True  answer  shalt  thou  have.  My  mother  says 
I  am  his  son ;  I  know  not ;  never  man 
Knew  his  own  father.  Would  I  were  the  son 
Of  one  whose  happier  lot  it  was  to  meet 
Amidst  his  own  estates  the  approach  of  age. 

Now  the  most  wretched  of  the  sons  of  men 
Is  he  to  whom  they  say  I  owe  my  birth. 

Thus  is  thy  question  answered.”  Then  again 
Spake  blue-eyed  Pallas  :  “  Of  a  truth,  the  gods 
Ordain  not  that  thy  race,  in  years  to  come, 
Should  be  inglorious,  since  Penelope 
Hath  borne  thee  such  as  I  behold  thee  now. 


Book  I. 


II 


But  frankly  answer  me,  —  what  feast  is  here, 

And  what  is  this  assembly  ?  What  may  be 
The  occasion  ?'  is  a  banquet  given  ?  is  this 
A  wedding  ?  A  collation,  where  the  guests  280 
Furnish  the  meats,  I  think  it  cannot  be, 

So  riotously  goes  the  revel  on 

Throughout  the  palace.  A  well-judging  man, 

If  he  should  come  among  them,  would  be  moved 
With  anger  at  the  shameful  things  they  do.”  285 
Again  Telemachus,  the  prudent,  spake  :  — 

“  Since  thou  dost  ask  me,  stranger,  know  that  once 
Rich  and  illustrious  might  this  house  be  called 
While  yet  the  chief  was  here.  But  now  the  gods 
Have  grown  unkind  and  willed  it  otherwise,  290 
They  make  his  fate  a  mystery  beyond 
The  fate  of  other  men.  I  should  not  grieve 
So  deeply  for  his  loss  if  he  had  fallen 
With  his  companions  on  the  field  of  Troy, 

Or  midst  his  kindred  when  the  war  was  o’er.  295 
Then  all  the  Greeks  had  built  his  monument, 

And  he  had  left  his  son  a  heritage 
Of  glory.  Now  has  he  become  the  prey 
Of  Harpies,  perishing  ingloriously, 

Unseen,  his  fate  unheard  of,  and  has  left  30a 

Mourning  and  grief,  my  portion.  Not  for  him 
Alone  I  grieve  ;  the  gods  have  cast  on  me 
Yet  other  hardships.  All  the  chiefs  who  rule 
The  isles,  Dulichium,  Samos,  and  the  groves 
That  shade  Zacynthus,  and  who  bear  the  sway  3°s 


12 


The  Odyssey. 


In  rugged  Ithaca,  have  come  to  woo 
My  mother,  and  from  day  to  day  consume 
My  substance.  She  rejects  not  utterly 
Their  hateful  suit,  and  yet  she  cannot  bear 
To  end  it  by  a  marriage.  Thus  they  waste  31c 
My  heritage,  and  soon  will  seek  my  life.” 

Again  in  grief  and  anger  Pallas  spake  :  — 

“  Yea,  greatly  dost  thou  need  the  absent  chief 
Ulysses  here,  that  he  might  lay  his  hands 
Upon  these  shameless  suitors.  Were  he  now  315 
To  come  and  stand  before  the  palace  gate 
With  helm  and  buckler  and  two  spears,  as  first 
I  saw  him  in  our  house,  when  drinking  wine 
And  feasting,  just  returned  from  Ephyre, 

Where  Hus  dwelt,  the  son  of  Mermerus,  —  320 

For  thither  went  Ulysses  in  a  bark, 

To  seek  a  deadly  drug  with  which  to  taint 
His  brazen  arrows  ;  Ilus  gave  it  not ; 

He  feared  the  immortal  gods ;  my  father  gave 
The  poison,  for  exceedingly  he  loved  32s 

His  guest,  —  could  now  Ulysses,  in  such  guise, 
Once  meet  the  suitors,  short  would  be  their  lives 
And  bitter  would  the  marriage  banquet  be. 

Yet  whether  he  return  or  not  to  take 
Vengeance,  in  his  own  palace,  on  this  crew  33° 
Of  wassailers,  rests  only  with  the  gods. 

Now  let  me  counsel  thee  to  think  betimes 
How  thou  shalt  thrust  them  from  thy  palace  gates. 
Observe  me,  and  attend  to  what  I  say : 


•  Book  /.  13 

To-morrow  thou  shalt  call  the  Achaian  chiefs  33s 
To  an  assembly ;  speak  before  them  all, 

And  be  the  gods  thy  witnesses.  Command 
The  suitors  all  to  separate  for  their  homes  ; 

And  if  thy  mother’s  mind  be  bent  to  wed, 

Let  her  return  to  where  her  father  dwells,  340 

A  mighty  prince,  and  there  they  will  appoint 
Magnificent  nuptials,  and  an  ample  dower 
Such  as  should  honor  a  beloved  child. 

And  now,  if  thou  wilt  heed  me,  I  will  give 
A  counsel  for  thy  good.  Man  thy  best  ship  343 
With  twenty  rowers,  and  go  forth  to  seek 
News  of  thy  absent  father.  Thou  shalt  hear 
Haply  of  him  from  some  one  of  the  sons 
Of  men,  or  else  some  word  of  rumor  sent 
By  Jove,  revealing  what  mankind  should  know.  330 
First  shape  thy  course  for  Pylos,  and  inquire 
Of  noble  Nestor  ;  then,  at  Sparta,  ask 
Of  fair-haired  Menelaus,  for  he  came 
Last  of  the  mailed  Achaians  to  his  home. 

And  shouldst  thou  learn  that  yet  thy  father  lives,  33s 
And  will  return,  have  patience  yet  a  year, 

,  However  hard  it  seem.  But  shouldst  thou  find 
That  he  is  now  no  more,  return  forthwith 
To  thy  own  native  land,  and  pile  on  high 
His  monument,  and  let  the  funeral  rites  360 

Be  sumptuously  performed  as  may  become 
The  dead,  and  let  thy  mother  wed  again. 

And  when  all  this  is  fully  brought  to  pass. 


14 


The  Odyssey. 

6 

Take  counsel  with  thy  spirit  and  thy  heart 
How  to  destroy  the  suitor  crew  that  haunt  365 

Thy  palace,  whether  by  a  secret  snare 
Or  open  force.  No  longer  shouldst  thou  act 
As  if  thou  wert  a  boy  ;  thou  hast  outgrown 
The  age  of  childish  sports.  Hast  thou  not  heard 
What  honor  the  divine  Orestes  gained  370 

With  all  men,  when  he  slew  the  murderer, 

The  crafty  wretch  Higisthus,  by  whose  hand 
The  illustrious  father  of  Orestes  died  ? 

And  then,  my  friend,  — -  for  I  perceive  that  thou 
Art  of  a  manly  and  a  stately  growth,  —  373 

Be  also  bold,  that  men  hereafter  born 
May  give  thee  praise.  And  now  must  I  depart 
To  my  good  ship,  and  to  my  friends  who  wait, 

Too  anxiously  perhaps,  for  my  return. 

Act  wisely  now,  and  bear  my  words  in  mind.”  380 
The  prudent  youth  Telemachus  rejoined  :  — 

“  Well  hast  thou  spoken,  and  with  kind  intent, 

O  stranger  !  like  a  father  to  a  son  ; 

And  ne’er  shall  I  forget  what  thou  hast  said. 

Yet  stay,  I  pray  thee,  though  in  haste,  and  bathe  385 
And  be  refreshed,  and  take  to  thy  good  ship 
Some  gift  with  thee,  such  as  may  please  thee  well, 
Precious  and  rare,  which  thou  mayst  ever  keep 
In  memory  of  me,  —  a  gift  like  those 
Which  friendly  hosts  bestow  upon  their  guests.”  390 
Then  spake  the  blue-eyed  Pallas  :  “  Stay  me  not, 
For  now  would  I  depart.  Whatever  gift 


Book  I. 


15 


Thy  heart  may  prompt  thee  to  bestow,  reserve 
Till  I  come  back,  that  I  may  bear  it  home,  394 
And  thou  shalt  take  some  precious  thing  in  turn.” 

So  spake  the  blue-eyed  Pallas,  and  withdrew, 
Ascending  like  a  bird.  She  filled  his  heart 
With  strength  and  courage,  waking  vividly 
His  father’s  memory.  Then  the  noble  youth 
Went  forth  among  the  suitors.  Silent  all  400 

They  sat  and  listened  to  the  illustrious  bard, 

Who  sang  of  the  calamitous  return 
Of  the  Greek  host  from  Troy,  at  the  command 
Of  Pallas.  From  her  chamber  o’er  the  hall 
The  daughter  of  Icarius,  the  sage  queen  4°s 

Penelope,  had  heard  the  heavenly  strain, 

And  knew  its  theme.  Down  by  the  lofty  stairs 
She  came,  but  not  alone ;  there  followed  her 
Two  maidens.  When  the  glorious  lady  reached 
The  threshold  of  the  strong-built  hall,  where  sat  41° 
The  suitors,  holding  up  a  delicate  veil 
Before  her  face,  and  with  a  gush  of  tears, 

The  queen  bespake  the  sacred  minstrel  thus  :  — 

“  Phemius !  thou  knowest  many  a  pleasing 
theme,  — 

The  deeds  of  gods  and  heroes,  such  as  bards  41s 
Are  wont  to  celebrate.  Take  then  thy  place 
And  sing  of  one  of  these,  and  let  the  guests 
In  silence  drink  the  wine  ;  but  cease  this  strain ; 

It  is  too  sad  ;  it  cuts  me  to  the  heart,  419 

And  wakes  a  sorrow  without  bounds,  —  such  grief 


1 6  The  Odyssey. 

I  bear  for  him,  my  lord,  of  whom  I  think 

Continually ;  whose  glory  is  abroad 

Through  Hellas  and  through  Argos,  everywhere.” 

And  then  Telemachus,  the  prudent,  spake  :  — 

“  Why,  O  my  mother  !  canst  thou  not  endure  42s 
That  thus  the  well-graced  poet  should  delight 
His  hearers  with  a  theme  to  which  his  mind 
Is  inly  moved  ?  The  bards  deserve  no  blame  ; 
Jove  is  the  cause,  for  he  at  will  inspires  429 

The  lay  that  each  must  sing.  Reprove  not,  then, 
The  minstrel  who  relates  the  unhappy  fate 
Of  the  Greek  warriors.  All  men  most  applaud 
The  song  that  has  the  newest  theme ;  and  thou  — 
Strengthen  thy  heart  to  hear  it.  Keep  in  mind 
That  not  alone  Ulysses  is  cut  off  435 

From  his  return,  but  that  with  him  at  Troy 
Have  many  others  perished.  Now  withdraw 
Into  thy  chamber ;  ply  thy  household  tasks, 

The  loom,  the  spindle ;  bid  thy  maidens  speed 
Their  work.  To  say  what  words  beseem  a  feast  440 
Belongs  to  man,  and  most  to  me  ;  for  here 
Within  these  walls  the  authority  is  mine.” 

The  matron,  wondering  at  his  words,  withdrew 
To  her  own  place,  but  in  her  heart  laid  up  444 

Her  son’s  wise  sayings.  When  she  now  had  reached, 
With  her  attendant  maids,  the  upper  rooms, 

She  mourned  Ulysses,  her  beloved  spouse, 

And  wept,  till  blue-eyed  Pallas  closed  her  lids 
In  gentle  slumbers.  Noisily,  meanwhile, 


Book  I. 


1 7 


The  suitors  revelled  in  the  shadowy  halls ;  450 

And  thus  Telemachus,  the  prudent,  spake  :  — 

“  Ye  suitors  of  my  mother,  insolent 
And  overbearing ;  cheerful  be  our  feast, 

Not  riotous.  It  would  become  us  well 
To  listen  to  the  lay  of  such  a  bard,  ass 

So  like  the  gods  in  voice.  I  bid  you  all 
Meet  in  full  council  with  the  morrow  morn, 

That  I  may  give  you  warning  to  depart 
From  out  my  palace,  and  to  seek  your  feasts 
Elsewhere  at  your  own  charge,  —  haply  to  hold 
Your  daily  banquets  at  each  other’s  homes. 

But  if  it  seem  to  you  the  better  way 
To  plunder  one  man’s  goods,  go  on  to  waste 
My  substance  ;  I  will  call  the  immortal  gods 
To  aid  me,  and  if  Jupiter  allow  465 

Fit  retribution  for  your  deeds,  ye  die, 

Within  this  very  palace,  unavenged.” 

He  spake  ;  the  suitors  bit  their  close-pressed  lips, 
Astonished  at  the  youth’s  courageous  words. 

And  thus  Antinoiis,  Eupeithes’  son,  470 

Made  answer  :  “  Most  assuredly  the  gods, 
Telemachus,  have  taught  thee  how  to  frame 
Grand  sentences  and  gallantly  harangue. 

Ne’er  may  the  son  of  Saturn  make  thee  king 
Over  the  sea-girt  Ithaca,  whose  isle  47s 

Is  thy  inheritance  by  claim  of  birth.” 

Telemachus,  the  prudent,  thus  rejoined  :  — 

“  Wilt  thou  be  angry  at  the  word  I  speak, 

B 


i8 


The  Odyssey . 


Antinoiis  ?  I  would  willingly  accept 

The  kingly  station  if  conferred  by  Jove.  480 

Dost  thou  indeed  regard  it  as  the  worst 

Of  all  conditions  of  mankind?  Not  so 

For  him  who  reigns  ;  his  house  grows  opulent, 

And  he  the. more  is  honored.  Many  kings 
Within  the  bounds  of  sea-girt  Ithaca  485 

There  are,  both  young  and  old,  let  any  one 
Bear  rule,  since  great  Ulysses  is  no  more  ; 

But  I  will  be  the  lord  of  mine  own  house, 

And  o’er  my  servants  whom  the  godlike  chief, 
Ulysses,  brought  from  war,  Ins  share  of  spoil.’-  490 

Eurymachus,  the  son  of  Polybus, 

Addressed  the  youth  in  turn  :  “  Assuredly, 

What  man  hereafter,  of  the  Achaian  race, 

Shall  bear  the  rule  o’er  sea-girt  Ithaca  494 

Rests  with  the  gods.  But  thou  shalt  keep  thy  wealth, 
And  may  no  son  of  violence  come  to  make 
A  spoil  of  thy  possessions  while  men  dwell 
In  Ithaca.  And  now,  my  friend,  I  ask 
Who  was  thy  guest ;  whence  came  he,  of  what  land 
Claims  he  to  be,  where  do  his  kindred  dwell  s°o 
And  where  his  patrimonial  acres  lie  ? 

With  tidings  of  thy  father’s  near  return 
Came  he,  or  to  receive  a  debt  ?  How  swift 
Was  his  departure,  waiting  not  for  us 
To  know  him  !  yet  in  aspect  and  in  air  s°5 

He  seemed  to  be  no  man  of  vulgar  note.” 

Telemachus,  the  prudent,  answered  thusn — 


Book  I. 


19 


“  My  father’s  coming,  O  Eurymachus, 

Is  to  be  hoped  no  more  ;  nor  can  I  trust 
Tidings  from  whatsoever  part  they  come,  510 

Nor  pay  regard  to  oracles,  although 
My  mother  send  to  bring  a  soothsayer 
Within  the  palace,  and  inquire  of  him. 

But  this  man  was  my  father’s  guest ;  he  comes 
From  Taphos  ;  Mentes  is  his  name,  a  son  51s 

Of  the  brave  chief  Anchialus  ;  he  reigns 
Over  the  Taphians,  men  who  love  the  sea.” 

He  spake,  but  in  his  secret  heart  he  knew 
The  immortal  goddess.  Then  the  suitors  turned. 
Delighted,  to  the  dance  and  cheerful  song,  520 

And  waited  for  the  evening.  On  their  sports 
The  evening  with  its  shadowy  blackness  came ; 
Then  each  to  his  own  home  withdrew  to  sleep, 
While  to  his  lofty  chamber,  in  full  view, 

Built  high  in  that  magnificent  palace  home,  52? 
Telemachus  went  up,  and  sought  his  couch, 

Intent  on  many  thoughts.  The  chaste  a*id  sage 
Dame  Eurycleia  by  his  side  went  up 
With  lighted  torches,  —  she  a  child  of  Ops, 
Pisenor’s  son.  Her,  in  her  early  bloom,  530 

Laertes  purchased  for  a  hundred  beeves, 

And  in  his  palace  honored  equally 

With  his  chaste  wife  ;  yet  never  sought  her  bed. 

He  would  not  wrong  his  queen.  *  T  was  she  who 
bore 

The  torches  with  Telemachus.  She  loved  ^ 


20 


The  Odyssey. 


Her  young  lord  more  than  all  the  other  maids, 

And  she  had  nursed  him  in  his  tender  years. 

He  opened  now  the  chamber  door  and  sat 
Upon  the  couch,  put  his  soft  tunic  off 
And  placed  it  in  the  prudent  matron’s  hands.  540 
She  folded  it  and  smoothed  it,  hung  it  near 
To  that  fair  bed,  and,  going  quickly  forth, 

Pulled  at  the  silver  ring  to  close  the  door, 

And  drew  the  thong  that  moved  the  fastening  bolt. 
He,  lapped  in  the  soft  fleeces,  all  night  long.  54s 
Thought  of  the  voyage  Pallas  had  ordained. 


BOOK  II. 


OW  when  the  Morning,  child  of  Dawn,  ap 


peared, 


The  dear  son  of  Ulysses  left  his  bed 

And  put  fiis  garments  on.  His  trenchant  sword 

He  hung  upon  his  shoulders,  and  made  fast 


His  shapely  sandals  to  his  shining  feet, 


And  issued  from  his  chamber  like  a  god. 

At  once  he  bade  the  clear-voiced  heralds  call 
The  long-haired  Greeks  to  council.  They  obeyed  ; 
Quickly  the  chiefs  assembled,  and  when  all 


Were  at  the  appointed  place,  Telemachus 
Went  to  the  council,  bearing  in  his  hand 
A  brazen  spear,  yet  went  he  not  alone. 


10 


Book  II. 


21 


Two  swift  dogs  followed  him,  while  Pallas  shed 

A  heavenly  beauty  over  him,  and  all 

Admired  him  as  he  came.  He  took  the  seat  15 

Of  his  great  father,  and  the  aged  men 

Made  way  for  him.  And  then  Aigyptius  spake,  — 

A  hero  bowed  with  age,  who  much  had  seen 

And  known.  His  son,  the  warlike  Antiphus, 

Went  with  the  great  Ulysses  in  his  fleet  20 

To  courser-breeding  Troy,  and  afterward 
The  cruel  Cyclops,  in  the  vaulted  cave, 

Slew  him  for  his  last  meal.  Three  other  sons 
There  were,  and  one  of  these,  Eurynomus, 

Was  of  the  suitor  train  ;  the  others  took  25 

Charge  of  their  father’s  acres.  Never  yet 
Had  he  forgotten  his  lost  son  or  ceased 
To  grieve  for  him,  and  as  he  spoke  he  wept. 

“  Hear,  men  of  Ithaca,  what  I  shall  say. 

No  council,  no  assembly,  have  we  held  30 

Since  great  Ulysses  in  his  roomy  ships 
Departed  from  our  isle.  Who  now  is  he 
That  summons  us  ?  On  which  of  our  young  men 
Or  elders  presses  this  necessity  ? 

Is  it  belike  that  one  of  you  has  heard  35 

Of  an  approaching  foe,  and  can  declare 
The  tidings  clearly  ?  Or  would  he  propose 
And  urge  some  other  matter  which  concerns 
The  public  weal  ?  A  just  and  generous  mind 
I  deem  is  his,  and ’t  is  my  hope  that  Jove 
Will  bring  to  pass  the  good  at  which  he  aims.” 


40 


22 


The  Odyssey. 


As  thus  he  spake  Ulysses’  son  rejoiced 
In  his  auspicious  words,  nor  longer  kept 
His  seat,  but,  yielding  to  an  inward  force, 

Rose  midst  them  all  to  speak,  while  in  his  hand  45 
Pisenor,  the  sagacious  counsellor 
And  herald,  placed  the  sceptre.  Then  he  turned 
To  the  old  man,  Htgyptius,  speaking  thus:  — 

“  O  aged  man,  not  far  from  thee  is  he 
Who  called  this  council,  as  thou  soon  shalt  know.  50 
Mine  chiefly  is  the  trouble ;  I  have  brought 
No  news  of  an  approaching  foe,  which  I 
Was  first  to  hear,  and  would  declare  to  all, 

Nor  urge  I  Other  matters  which  concern 

The  public  weal ;  my  own  necessity  —  55 

The  evil  that  has  fallen  on  my  house  — 

Constrains  me  ;  it  is  twofold.  First,  that  I 
Have  lost  an  excellent  father,  who  was  king 
Among  you,  and  ruled  o’er  you  with  a  sway 
As  gentle  as  a  father’s.  Greater  yet  60 

Is  the  next  evil,  and  will  soon  o’erthrow 
My  house  and  waste  my  substance  utterly. 

Suitors,  the  sons  of  those  who,  in  our  isle, 

Hold  the  chief  rank,  importunately  press 
Round  my  unwilling  mother.  They  disdain  65 
To  ask  her  of  Icarius,  that  the  king 
Her  father  may  endow  her,  and  bestow 
His  daughter  on  the  man  who  best  may  gain 
His  favor,  but  with  every  day  they  come 
Into  olir  palace,  sacrificing  here 


70 


Book  II. 


23 


r 

Oxen  and  sheep  and  fading  goats,  and  hold 
High  festival,  and  drink  the  purple  wine 
Unstinted,  with  unbounded  waste  ;  for  here 
Is  no  man  like  Ulysses  to  repel 
The  mischief  from  my  house.  Not  such  are  we  75 
As  he  was,  to  resist  the  wrong.  We  pass 
For  weaklings,  immature  in  valor,  yet 
If  I  had  but  the  power,  assuredly 
I  would  resist,  for  by  these  men  are  done 
Insufferable  things,  nor  does  my  house  so 

Perish  with  honor.  Ye  yourselves  should  feel 
Shame  at  these  doings;  ye  should  dread  reproach 
From  those  who  dwell  around  us,  and  should  fear 
The  offended  gods,  lest  they  repay  these  crimes 
With  vengeance.  I  beseech  you,  O  my  friends,  ss 
Both  by  Olympian  Jove,  and  her  by  whom 
Councils  of  men  are  summoned  and  dissolved,  — 
The  goddess  Themis,  —  that  ye  all  refrain, 

And  leave  me  to  my  grief  alone,  unless 
Ulysses,  my  great  father,  may  have  done  90 

Wrong  in  his  anger  to  the  gallant  Greeks, 

Which  ye,  by  prompting  men  to  acts  like  these, 
Seek  to  avenge  on  me.  Far  better  ’t  were, 

Should  ye  yourselves  destroy  our  goods  and  slay 
Our  herds,  since,  were  it  so,  there  might  in  time  9s 
Be  some  requital.  We,  from  street  to  street, 

Would  plead  continually  for  recompense, 

Till  all  should  be  restored.  But  now  ye  heap 
Upon  me  wrongs  for  which  is  no  redress.” 


24 


The  Odyssey. 


i 


Thus  angrily  he  spake,  and  dashed  to  earth  **> 
The  sceptre,  shedding  tears.  The  people  felt 
Compassion  ;  all  were  silent  for  a  space, 

And  there  was  none  wTho  dared  with  railing  words 
Answer  Telemachus,  save  one  alone, 

Antinoiis,  who  arose  and  thus  replied  :  —  ios 

“  Telemachus,  thou  youth  of  braggart  speech 
And  boundless  in  abuse,  what  hast  thou  said 
To  our  dishonor  ?  Thou  w^ouldst  fix  on  us 
A  brand  of  shame.  The  blame  is  not  with  us, 

The  Achaian  suitors  ;  ’t  is  thy  mother’s  fault,  «o 
Skilled  as  she  is  in  crafty  shifts.  ’T  is  now 
Already  the  third  year,  and  soon  will  be 
The  fourth,  since  she  began  to  cozen  us. 

She  gives  us  all  to  hope,  and  sends  fair  words 
To  each  by  message,  yet  in  her  own  mind  us 

Has  other  purposes.  This  shrewd  device 
She  planned  ;  she  laid  upon  the  loom  a  web, 
Delicate,  wide,  and  vast  in  length,  and  said 
Thus  to  us  all  :  ‘  Young  princes,  who  are  come 
To  wroo  me,  since  Ulysses  is  no  more,  —  220 

My  noble  husband,  —  urge  me  not,  I  pray, 

To  marriage,  till  I  finish  in  the  loom  — • 

That  so  my  threads  may  not  be  spun  in  vain  — 

A  funeral  vesture  for  the  hero-chief 
Laertes,  when  his  fatal  hour  shall  come 
With  death’s  long  sleep.  Else  some  Achaian  dame 
Might  blame  me,  should  I  leave  without  a  shroud 
Him  who  in  life  possessed  such  ample  wealth  !  ’ 


Book  II 


25 


Such  were  her  words,  and  easily  they  wrought 
Upon  our  generous  minds.  So  went  she  on,  130 
Weaving  that  ample  web,  and  every  night 
Unravelled  it  by  torchlight.  Three  full  years 
She  practised  thus,  and  by  the  fraud  deceived 
The  Grecian  youths ;  but  when  the  hours  had  brought 
The  fourth  year  round,  a  woman  who  knew  all  135 
Revealed  the  mystery,  and  we  ourselves 
Saw  her  unravelling  the  ample  web. 

Thenceforth,  constrained,  and  with  unwilling  hands, 

She  finished  it.  Now  let  the  suitors  make 

Their  answer  to  thy  words,  that  thou  mayst  know  140 

Our  purpose  fully,  and  the  Achaians  all 

May  know  it  likewise.  Send  thy  mother  hence, 

Requiring  that  she  wed  the  suitor  whom 

Her  father  chooses  and  herself  prefers. 

But  if  she  still  go  on  to  treat  the  sons  145 

Of  Greece  with  such  despite,  too  confident 
In  gifts  which  Pallas  has  bestowed  on  her 
So  richly,  noble  arts,  and  faculties 
Of  mind,  and  crafty  shifts,  beyond  all  those 
Of  whom  we  ever  heard  that  lived  of  yore,  *5° 

The  bright-haired  ladies  of  the  Achaian  race, 

Tyro,  Alcmena,  and  Mycene,  famed 

For  glossy  tresses,  none  of  them  endowed 

As  is  Penelope,  though  this  last  shift 

Be  ill  devised,  —  so  long  will  we  consume  155 

Thy  substance  and  estate  as  she  shall  hold 

Her  present  mood,  the  purpose  which  the  gods 


VOL.  1. 


2 


2  6 


The  Odyssey. 


Have  planted  in  her  breast.  She  to  herself 
Gains  great  renown,  but  surely  brings  on  thee 
Loss  of  much  goods.  And  now  we  go  not  hence 
To  our  affairs  nor  elsewhere,  till  she  wed 
Whichever  of  the  Greeks  may  please  her  most.” 

And  then  rejoined  discreet  Telemachus  :  — 

“  Antinoiis,  grievous  wrong  it  were  to  send 
Unwilling  from  this  palace  her  who  bore 
And  nursed  me.  Whether  he  be  living  yet 
Or  dead,  my  father  is  in  distant  lands ; 

And  should  I,  of  my  own  accord  and  will, 
Dismiss  my  mother,  I  must  make  perforce 
Icarius  large  amends,  and  that  were  hard. 

And  he  would  do  me  mischief,  and  the  gods 
Would  send  yet  other  evils  on  my  head. 

For  then  my  mother,  going  forth,  would  call 
On  the  grim  Furies,  and  the  general  curse 
Of  all  men  would  be  on  me.  Think  not  I 
Will  ever  speak  that  word.  But  if  ye  bear 
A  sense  of  injury  for  what  is  past, 

Go  from  these  halls ;  provide  for  other  feasts, 
Consuming  what  is  yours,  and  visiting 
Each  other’s  homes  in  turn.  But  if  it  seem 
To  you  the  wiser  and  the  better  way 
To  plunder  one  man’s  goods,  go  on  to  waste 
My  substance.  I  shall  call  the  eternal  gods 
To  aid  me,  and,  if  Jupiter  allow 
Fit  retribution  for  your  crimes,  ye  die 
Within  this  very  palace  unavenged.” 


Book  If. 


27 


So  spake  Telemachus.  The  Thunderer,  Jove, 
Sent  flying  from  a  lofty  mountain-top 
Two  eagles.  First  they  floated  on  the  wind 
Close  to  each  other,  and  with  wings  outspread ;  190 
But  as  they  came  to  where  the  murmuring  crowd 
Was  gathered  just  beneath  their  flight,  they  turned 
And  clapped  their  heavy  pinions,  looking  down 
With  deadly  omen  on  the  heads  below, 

And  with  their  talons  tore  each  other’s  cheeks  19s 
And  necks,  and  then  they  darted  to  the  right 
Away  through  Ithaca  among  its  roofs. 

All  who  beheld  the  eagles  were  amazed, 

And  wondered  what  event  was  near  at  hand. 
Among  the  rest  an  aged  hero  spake,  z«o 

Named  Halitherses,  Mastor’s  son.  He  knew, 

More  truly  than  the  others  of  his  age, 

To  augur  from  the  flight  of  birds,  and  read 
The  will  of  fate,  —  and  wisely  thus  he  spake  :  — 

“  Hear,  men  of  Ithaca,  what  I  shall  say.  205 
I  speak  of  what  most  narrowly  concerns 
The  suitors,  over  whom  already  hangs 
Great  peril,  for  Ulysses  will  not  be 
Long  at  a  distance  from  his  home  and  friends. 

Even  now  he  is  not  far,  and  meditates  *«> 

Slaughter  and  death  to  all  the  suitor  train  ; 

And  evil  will  ensue  to  many  more 
Of  us,  who^  dwell  in  sunny  Ithaca. 

Now  let  us  think  what  measures  may  restrain 
These  men,  —  or  let  them  of  their  own  accord 


215 


28 


The  Odyssey. 


Desist,  —  the  soonest  were  for  them  the  best. 

For  not  as  one  untaught  do  I  foretell 
Events  to  come,  but  speak  of  what  I  know. 

All  things  that  I  predicted  to  our  chief. 

What  time  the  Argive  troops  embarked  for  Troy,  220 
And  sage  Ulysses  with  them,  are  fulfilled  ; 

I  said  that  after  many  hardships  borne, 

And  all  his  comrades  lost,  the  twentieth  year 
Would  bring  him  back,  a  stranger  to  us  all, — 

And  all  that  then  I  spake  of  comes  to  pass.” 

Eurymachus,  the  son  of  Polybus, 

Answered  the  seer  :  “  Go  to  thy  house,  old  man, 
And  to  thy  boys,  and  prophesy  to  them, 

Lest  evil  come  upon  them.  I  can  act, 

In  matters  such  as  these,  a  prophet’s  part  230 

Better  than  thou.  True,  there  are  many  birds 
That  fly  about  in  sunshine,  but  not  all 
Are  ominous.  Ulysses  far  away 
Has  perished  ;  well  it  would  have  been  if  thou 
Hadst  perished  with  him  ;  then  thou  wouldst  not 
prate  235 

Idly  of  things  to  come,  nor  wouldst  thou  stir 
Telemachus  to  anger,  in  the  hope 
Of  bearing  to  thy  house  some  gift  from  him. 

Now  let  me  say,  and  be  assured  my  words 
Will  be  fulfilled  :  experienced  as  thou  art,  *4° 

If  thou  by  treacherous  speeches  shalt  inflame 
A  younger  man  than  thou  to  violent  deeds, 

The  sharper  punishment  shall  first  be  his, 


Book  II 


But  we  will  lay  on  thee  a  penalty, 

Old  man,  which  thou  shalt  find  it  hard  to  bear. 
And  bitterly  wilt  thou  repent.  And  now 
Let  me  persuade  Telemachus  to  send 
His  mother  to  her  father.  They  will  make 
A  marriage  for  her  there,  and  give  with  her 
A  liberal  dowry,  such  as  may  become 
A  favorite  daughter  on  her  wedding-day, 

Else  never  will  the  sons  of  Greece  renounce, 

I  think,  the  difficult  suit.  We  do  not  fear 
Telemachus  himself,  though  glib  of  speech, 

Nor  care  we  for  the  empty  oracle 
Which  thou,  old  man,  dost  utter,  making  thee 
Only  more  hated.  Still  will  his  estate 
Be  wasted,  nor  will  order  e’er  return 
While  she  defers  her  marriage  with  some  prince 
Of  the  Achaians.  We  shall  urge  our  suit 
For  that  most  excellent  of  womankind 
As  rivals,  nor  withdraw  to  seek  the  hand 
Of  others,  whom  we  fitly  might  espouse.” 

To  this  discreet  Telemachus  replied  :  — 

“  Eurymachus,  and  ye,  the  illustrious  train 
Of  suitors,  I  have  nothing  more  to  ask,  — 

No  more  to  say,  —  for  now  the  gods  and  all 
The  Achaians  know  the  truth.  But  let  me  have 
A  gallant  bark,  and  twenty  men  to  make 
From  coast  to  coast  a  voyage,  visiting 
Sparta  and  sandy  Pylos,  to  inquire 
For  my  long-absent  father,  and  the  chance 


30 


The  Odyssey. 


Of  his  return,  if  any  of  mankind 
Can  tell  me  aught,  or  if  some  rumor  come 
From  Jove,  since  thus  are  tidings  often  brought  275 
To  human  knowledge.  Should  I  learn  that  yet 
He  lives  and  may  return,  I  then  would  wait 
A  twelvemonth,  though  impatient.  Should  I  hear 
That  he  no  longer  lives,  I  shall  return 
Homeward,  and  pile  his  monument  on  high  230 
With  funeral  honors  that  become  the  dead, 

And  give  my  mother  to  a  second  spouse.” 

He  spake  and  took  his  seat,  and  then  arose 
Mentor,  once  comrade  of  the  excellent  chief 
Ulysses,  who,  departing  with  his  fleet,  =85 

Consigned  his  household  to  the  aged  man, 

That  they  should  all  obey  him,  and  that  he 
Should  safely  keep  his  charge.  He  rose  amid 
The  assembly,  and  addressed  them  wisely  thus  :  — 

“  Hear  and  attend,  ye  men  of  Ithaca,  .  290 

To  what  I  say.  Let  never  sceptred  king 
Henceforth  be  gracious,  mild,  and  merciful, 

And  righteous  ;  rather  be  he  deaf  to  prayer 
And  prone  to  deeds  of  wrong,  since  no  one  now 
Remembers  the  divine  Ulysses  more,  295 

Among  the  people  over  whom  he  ruled 
Benignly  like  a  father.  Yet  I  bear 
No  envy  to  the  haughty  -suitors  here, 

Moved  as  they  are  to  deeds  of  violence 
By  evil  counsels,  since,  in  pillaging 
The  substance  of  Ulysses,  who  they  say 


300 


Book  II. 


3i 


Will  nevermore  return,  they  risk  their  lives. 

But  I  am  angry  with  the  rest,  with  all 
Of  you  who  sit  here  mute,  nor  even  with  words 
Of  stern  reproof  restrain  their  violence,  *>5 

Though  ye  so  many  are  and  they  so  few.” 

Leiocritus,  Evenor’s  son,  rejoined  :  — 

“  Malicious  Mentor,  foolish  man  !  what  talk 
Is  this  of  holding  us  in  check  ?  ’T  were  hard 
For  numbers  even  greater  than  our  own  310 

(To  drive  us  from  a  feast.  And  should  the  prince 
Of  Ithaca,  Ulysses,  come  himself, 

Thinking  to  thrust  the  illustrious  suitors  forth 
That  banquet  in  these  palace  halls,  his  queen 
Would  have  no  cause  for  joy  at  his  return,  315 

Greatly  as  she  desired  it.  He  would  draw 
Sure  death  upon  himself  in  strife  with  us 
Who  are  so  many.  Thou  hast  spoken  ill. 

Now  let  the  people  who  are  gathered  here 

Disperse  to  their  employments.  We  will  leave  320 

Mentor  and  Halitherses,  who  were  both 

His  father’s  early  comrades,  to  provide 

For  the  youth’s  voyage.  He  will  yet  remain 

A  long  time  here,Ithink,  to  ask  for  news 

In  Ithaca,  and  never  will  set  sail.”  325 

Thus  having  said,  he  instantly  dismissed 
The  people  ;  they  departed  to  their  homes  ; 

The  suitors  sought  the  palace  of  the  prince. 

Then  to  the  ocean-side,  apart  from  all, 

Went  forth  Telemachus,  and  washed  his  hands 


330 


32 


The  Odyssey. 


In  the  gray  surf,  and  prayed  to  Pallas  thus  :  — 

“  Hear  me,  thou  deity  who  yesterday, 

In  visiting  our  palace,  didst  command 
That  I  should  traverse  the  black  deep  to  learn 
News  of  my  absent  father,  and  the  chance  33s 

Of  his  return  !  The  Greeks  themselves  withstand. 
My  purpose  ;  the  proud  suitors  most  of  all.” 

Such  was  his  prayer,  and  straightway  Pallas  stood, 
In  form  and  voice  like  Mentor,  by  his  side, 

And  thus  accosted  him  with  winged  words  :  —  340 

“  Telemachus,  thou  henceforth  shalt  not  lack 
Valor  or  wisdom.  If  with  thee  abides 
Thy  father’s  gallant  spirit,  as  he  was 
In  deed  and  word,  thou  wilt  not  vainly  make 
This  voyage.  But  if  thou  be  not  in  truth  345 

The  son  of  him  and  of  Penelope, 

Then  I  rely  not  on  thee  to  perform 
What  thou  dost  meditate.  Few  sons  are  like 
Their  fathers  :  most  are  worse,  a  very  few 
Excel  their  parents.  Since  thou  wilt  not  lack  350 
Valor  and  wisdom  in  the  coming  time, 

Nor  is  thy  father’s  shrewdness  wanting  quite 
In  thee,  great  hope  there  is  that  happily 
This  plan  will  be  fulfilled.  Regard  not  then 
The  suitor  train,  their  purposes  and  plots.  355 

Senseless  are  they,  as  little  wise  as  just, 

And  have  no  thought  of  the  black  doom  of  death 
Now  drawing  near  to  sweep  them  in  a  day 
To  their  destruction.  But  thy  enterprise 


Book  II. 


33 


Must  suffer  no  delay.  So  much  am  I  360 

Thy  father’s  friend  and  thine,  that  I  will  cause 
A  swift  bark  to  be  fitted  out  for  sea, 

And  will  myself  attend  thee.  Go  now  hence 
Among  the  suitors,  and  make  ready  there 
The  needful  stores,  and  let  them  all  be  put  36s 
In  vessels,  —  wine  in  jars,  and  meal,  the  strength 
Of  man,  in  close  thick  skins,  —  while  I  engage, 
Among  the  people  here,  a  willing  crew. 

Ships  are  there  in  our  sea-girt  Ithaca 

Full  many,  new  and  old,  and  I  will  choose  37° 

The  best  of  these,  and  see  it  well  equipped. 

Then  will  we  drag  it  down  to  the  broad  sea.” 

Thus  Pallas  spake,  the  child  of  Jupiter. 
Telemachus  obeyed  the  heavenly  voice, 

And  stayed  not ;  home  he  hastened,  where  he  saw  375 
Sadly  the  arrogant  suitors  in  the  hall, 

Busily  flaying  goats  and  roasting  swine. 

Antinoiis,  laughing,  came  to  meet  the  youth, 

And  fastened  on  his  hand,  and  thus  he  spake  :  — 

“  Telemachus,  thou  youth  of  lofty  speech  380 
And  boundless  in  abuse,  let  neither  word 
Nor  deed  that  may  displease  thee  vex  thy  heart, 

But  gayly  eat  and  drink  as  thou  wert  wont. 

The  Achaians  generously  will  provide 
Whatever  thou  requirest,  ship  and  men,  —  383 

All  chosen  rowers,  —  that  thou  mayst  arrive 
Sooner  at  sacred  Pylos,  there  to  learn 
Tidings  of  thy  illustrious  father’s  fate.” 

2  ^ 


c 


34 


The  Odyssey . 


Then  spake  discreet  Telemachus  in  turn  :  — 

“  Antinoiis,  never  could  I  sit  with  you,  390 

Arrogant  ones  !  in  silence  nor  enjoy 
The  feast  in  quiet.  Is  it  not  enough, 

O  suitors,  that  while  I  was  yet  a  child 

Ye  wasted  on  your  revelries  my  large 

And  rich  possessions  ?  Now  that  I  am  grown,  395 

And,  when  I  hear  the  words  of  other  men, 

Discern  their  meaning,  now  that  every  day 
Strengthens  my  spirit,  I  will  make  the  attempt 
To  bring  the  evil  fates  upon  your  heads, 

Whether  I  go  to  Pylos  or  remain  400 

Among  this  people.  I  shall  surely  make 
This  voyage,  and  it  will  not  be  in  vain. 

Although  I  go  a  passenger  on  board 
Another’s  ship,  —  since  neither  ship  have  I 
Nor  rowers,  —  ye  have  judged  that  so  were  best.”  4°s 
He  spake,  and  quickly  from  the  suitor’s  hand 
Withdrew  his  own.  The  others  who  prepared 
Their  banquet  in  the  palace  scoffed  at  him, 

And  flung  at  him  their  bitter  taunts,  and  one 
Among  the  insolent  youths  reviled  him  thus  : —  410 
“  Telemachus  is  certainly  resolved 
To  butcher  us.  He  goes  to  bring  allies 
From  sandy  Pylos  or  the  Spartan  coast, 

He  is  so  bent  on  slaughter.  Or  perhaps 
He  visits  the  rich  land  of  Ephyrb  415 

In  search  of  deadly  poisons  to  be  thrown 
Into  a  cup  and  end  us  all  at  once.” 


Book  II. 


35 


Then  said  another  of  the  haughty  youths  :  — 
u  Who  knows  but,  wandering  in  his  hollow  bark, 
He  too  may  perish,  far  from  all  his  friends,  4=o 
Just  as  Ulysses  perished?  This  would  bring 
Increase  of  labor ;  it  would  cast  on  us 
The  trouble  to  divide  his  goods,  and  give 
His  palace  to  his  mother,  and  to  him 
Who  takes  the  woman  as  his  wedded  wife.”  423 
So  spake  they,  but  Telemachus  went  down 
To  that  high-vaulted  room,  his  father’s,  where 
Lay  heaps  of  gold  and  brass,  and  garments  store 
In  chests,  and  fragrant  oils.  And  there  stood  casks 
Of  delicate  old  wine  and  pure,  a  drink  430 

For  gods,  in  rows  against  the  wall,  to  wait 
If  ever,  after  many  hardships  borne, 

Ulysses  should  return.  Upon  that  room 
Close-fitting  double  doors  were  shut,  and  there 
Was  one  who  night  and  day  kept  diligent  watch,  43s 
A  woman,  Eurycleia,  child  of  Ops, 

Peisenor’s  son.  Telemachus  went  in 

And  called  her  to  him,  and  bespake  her  thus  :  — 

“  Nurse,  let  sw^eet  wine  be  drawn  into  my  jars, 
The  finest  next  to  that  which  thou  dost  keep  440 
Expecting  our  unhappy  lord,  if  yet 
The  nobly  born  Ulysses  shall  escape 
The  doom  of  death  and  come  to  us  again. 

Fill  twelve,  and  fit  the  covers  close,  and  pour 
Meal  into  well-sewn  skins,  and  let  the  tale  445 

Be  twenty  measures  of  the  flour  of  wheat. 


36 


The  Odyssey. 


This  none  but  thou  must  know.  Let  all  these  things 
Be  brought  together  ;  then,  as  night  shuts  in, 

When  to  her  upper  chamber,  seeking  rest, 

My  mother  shall  withdraw,  I  come  and  take  4s° 
What  thou  providest  for  me.  I  am  bound 
For  Sparta  and  for  Pylos  in  the  sands, 

To  gather  news  concerning  the  return 
Of  my  dear  father,  if  I  haply  may.” 

So  spake  the  youth,  and  his  beloved  nurse  455 
Sobbed,  wept  aloud,  and  spake  these  winged 
words  :  — 

“  Why  should  there  come,  dear  child,  a  thought 
like  this 

Into  thy  heart.  Why  wouldst  thou  wander  forth 
To  distant  regions,  —  thou  an  only  son 
And  dearly  loved  ?  Ulysses,  nobly  born,  460 

Has  perished,  from  his  native  land  afar, 

’Mid  a  strange  race.  These  men,  when  thou  art  gone, 
At  once  will  lay  their  plots  to  take  thy  life, 

And  share  thy  wealth  among  them.  Stay  thou  here 
Among  thy  people  ;  need  is  none  that  thou  465 
Shouldst  suffer,  roaming  o’er  the  barren  deep.” 

Then  spake  discreet  Telemachus  again  :  — 

“  Be  of  good  cheer,  O  nurse,  for  my  design 
Is  not  without  the  sanction  of  a  god  ; 

But  swear  thou  not  to  let  my  mother  know  47° 
Of  my  intent  until  the  eleventh  day 
Or  twelfth  shall  pass,  or  till,  in  missing  me, 

She  learn  of  my  departure,  lest  she  weep 


Book  II 


37 


And  stain  with  tears  the  beauty  of  her  face.” 

He  spake  ;  the  ancient  woman  solemnly  475 
Swore  by  the  gods,  and  when  the  rite  was  o’er 
Drew  wine  into  the  jars,  and  poured  the  meal 
Into  the  well-sewn  skins.  Telemachus 
Entered  the  hall  and  joined  the  suitor  train.  479 

Then  did  the  blue-eyed  goddess  turn  her  thoughts 
To  other  plans,  and  taking  on  herself 
The  semblance  of  Telemachus,  she  ranged 
The  city,  speaking  to  each  man  in  turn, 

And  bidding  him  at  nightfall  to  repair 
To  where  the  good  ship  lay.  That  gallant  ship  48s 
She  begged  of  the  renowned  Noemon,  son 
Of  Phronius,  who  with  cheerful  grace  complied. 

The  sun  went  down,  the  city  streets  lay  all 
In  shadow.  Then  she  drew  the  good  ship  down 
Into  the  sea,  and  brought  and  put  on  board  49° 
The  appointments  every  well-built  galley  needs, 
And  moored  her  at  the  bottom  of  the  port, 

Where,  in  a  throng,  obedient  to  the  word 
Of  Pallas,  round  her  came  her  gallant  crew. 

With  yet  a  new  device  the  blue-eyed  maid  495 
Went  to  the  palace  of  the  godlike  chief 
Ulysses,  where  she  poured  a  gentle  sleep 
Over  the  suitors.  As  they  drank  she  made 
Their  senses  wander,  and  their  hands  let  fall 
The  goblets.  Now  no  longer  at  the  board  500 
They  sat,  but  sallied  forth,  and  through  the  town 
Went  to  their  slumbers,  for  the  power  of  sleep 


38 


The  Odyssey. 


Had  fallen  heavily  upon  their  lids. 

Then  blue-eyed  Pallas  from  those  sumptuous  halls 
Summoned  Telemachus.  She  took  the  form  503 
And  voice  of  Mentor,  and  bespake  him  thus  :  — 

“  Telemachus,  already  at  their  oars 
.Sit  thy  well-armed  companions  and  await 
Thy  coming ;  let  us  go  without  delay.” 

Thus  having  spoken,  Pallas  led  the  way  510 

With  rapid  footsteps  which  he  followed  fast ; 

Till  having  reached  the  galley  and  the  sea 
They  found  their  long-haired  comrades  at  the  beach, 
And  thus  the  gallant  prince  Telemachus 
Bespake  them  :  “  Hither,  comrades,  let  us  bring  515 
The  sea-stores  from  the  dwelling  where  they  lie  ; 
My  mother  knows  not  of  it,  nor  her  maids  ; 

The  secret  has  been  told  to  one  alone.” 

He  spake,  and  went  before  them.  In  his  steps 
They  followed.  To  the  gallant  bark  they  brought  320 
The  stores,  and,  as  the  well-beloved  son 
Of  King  Ulysses  bade,  they  laid  them  down 
Within  the  hull.  Telemachus  went  up 
The  vessel’s  side,  but  Pallas  first  embarked, 

And  at  the  stern  sat  down,  while  next  to  her  325 
Telemachus  was  seated.  Then  the  crew 
Cast  loose  the  fastenings  and  went  all  on  board, 
And  took  their  places  on  the  rowers’  seats, 

While  blue-eyed  Pallas  sent  a  favoring  breeze, 

A  fresh  wind  from  the  west,  that  murmuring  swept  530 
The  dark-blue  main.  Telemachus  gave  forth 


Book  III. 


39 


The  word  to  wield  the  tackle  ;  they  obeyed, 

And  raised  the  fir-tree  mast,  and,  fitting  it 
Into  its  socket,  bound  it  fast  with  cords, 

And  drew  and  spread  with  firmly  twisted  ropes  535 
The  shining  sails  on  high.  The  steady  wind 
Swelled  out  the  canvas  in  the  midst  ;  the  ship 
Moved  on,  the  dark  sea  roaring  round  her  keel, 

As  swiftly  through  the  waves  she  cleft  her  way. 

And  when  the  rigging  of  that  swift  black  ship  540 
Was  firmly  in  its  place,  they  filled  their  cups 
With  wine,  and  to  the  ever-living  gods 
Poured  out  libations,  most  of  all  to  one, 

Jove’s  blue-eyed  daughter.  Thus  through  all  that 
night 

And  all  the  ensuing  morn  they  held  their  way.  545 


BOOK  III. 


OW  from  the  fair  broad  bosom  of  the  sea 


T  N  Into  the  brazen  vault  of  heaven  the  sun 
Rose  shining  for  the  immortals  and  for  men 
Upon  the  foodful  earth.  The  voyagers 


Arrived  at  Pylos,  nobly  built,  the  town 


5 


Of  Neleus.  There,  upon  the  ocean-side, 

They  found  the  people  offering  coal-black  steers 

To  dark-haired  Neptune.  On  nine  seats  they  sat, 

* 

Five  hundred  on  each  seat ;  nine  steers  were  slain 


40 


The  Odyssey . 


For  each  five  hundred  there.  While  they  performed 
The  rite,  and,  tasting  first  the  entrails,  burned  « 
The  thighs  to  ocean’s  god,  the  Ithacans 
Touched  land,  and,  lifting  up  the  good  ship’s  sail, 
Furled  it  and  moored  the  keel,  and  then  stepped  out 
Upon  the  shore.  Forth  from  the  galley  came  is 
Telemachus,  the  goddess  guiding  him, 

And  thus  to  him  the  blue-eyed  Pallas  said  :  — 

“  Telemachus,  there  now  is  no  excuse, 

Not  even  the  least,  for  shamefaced  backwardness. 
Thou  hast  come  hither  o’er  the  deep  to  ask  20 
For  tidings  of  thy  father,  — what  far  land 
Conceals  him,  what  the  fate  that  he  has  met. 

Go  then  at  once  to  Nestor,  the  renowned 
In  horsemanship,  and  we  shall  see  what  plan 
He  hath  in  mind  for  thee.  Entreat  him  there  25 
That  frankly  he  declare  it.  He  will  speak 
No  word  of  falsehood  ;  he  is  truly  wise.” 

And  thus  discreet  Telemachus  replied  :  — 

“  O  Mentor,  how  shall  I  approach  the  chief, 

And  with  what  salutation  ?  Little  skill  30 

Have  I  in  courtly  phrase,  and  shame  becomes 
A  youth  in  questioning  an  aged  man.” 

Pallas,  the  blue-eyed  goddess,  spake  again  :  — 

“  In  part  thy  mind  will  prompt  thy  speech ;  in  part 
A  god  will  put  the  words  into  thy  mouth,  —  35 

For  well  I  deem  that  thou  wert  neither  born 
Nor  trained  without  the  favor  of  the  gods.” 

Thus  having  said,  the  blue-eyed  Pallas  moved 


Book  III. 


4i 


With  hasty  pace  before,  and  in  her  steps 
He  followed  close,  until  they  reached  the  seats  40 
Of  those  assembled  Pylians.  Nestor  there 
Sat  with  his  sons,  while  his  companions  stood 
Around  him  and  prepared  the  feast,  and  some 
Roasted  the  flesh  at  fires,  and  some  transfixed 
The  parts  with  spits.  As  they  beheld  the  approach  45 
Of  strangers  they  advanced,  and  took  their  hands, 
And  bade  them  sit.  Pisistratus,  a  son 
Of  Nestor,  came  the  first  of  all,  and  took 
A  hand  of  each,  and  placed  them  at  the  feast 
On  the  soft  hides  that  o’er  the  ocean  sand  50 

Were  spread  beside  his  brother  Thrasymed 
And  his  own  father  ;  brought  for  their  repast 
Parts  of  the  entrails,  poured  for  them  the  wine 
Into  a  golden  goblet,  held  it  forth 
In  his  right  hand,  and  with  these  words  bespake  ss 
Pallas,  the  child  of  aegis-bearing  Jove  :  — 

“  Pray,  stranger,  to  King  Neptune.  Ye  have 
chanced 

Upon  his  feast  in  coming  to  our  coast. 

And  after  thy  libation  poured,  and  prayer 
Made  to  the  god,  give  over  to  thy  friend  60 

The  goblet  of  choice  wine  that  he  may  make 
Libation  also ;  he,  I  question  not, 

Prays  to  the  gods  ;  we  all  have  need  of  them. 

A  younger  man  is  he  than  thou,  and  seems 
In  age  to  be  my  equal ;  therefore  I 
Will  give  the  golden  goblet  first  to  thee.” 


65 


42 


The  Odyssey. 


He  spake,  and  in  the  hands  of  Pallas  placed 
The  goblet  of  choice  wine.  Well  pleased  was  she 
With  one  so  just  and  so  discreet,  —  well  pleased 
That  first  to  her  he  reached  the  cup  of  gold,  7° 
And  thus  she  prayed  to  Neptune  fervently  :  — 

“  Hear,  Neptune,  thou  who  dost  embrace  the 
earth, 

And  of  thy  grace  disdain  not  to  bestow 
These  blessings  on  thy  suppliants.  First  of  all 
Vouchsafe  to  Nestor  and  his  sons  increase  75 

Of  glory ;  on  the  Pylian  people  next 
Bestow,  for  this  most  sumptuous  hecatomb, 

Large  recompense ;  and,  lastly,  grant  to  us  — 
Telemachus  and  me  —  a  safe  return 
To  our  own  country  with  the  end  attained  so 

Which  brought  us  hither  in  our  gallant  bark.” 

Thus  did  she  pray,  while  she  fulfilled  the  prayer ; 
And  then  she  handed  to  Telemachus 
The  fair  round  goblet,  and  in  words  like  hers 
The  dear  son  of  Ulysses  prayed.  Meanwhile  s5 
The  Pylians,  having  roasted  well  the  flesh 
And  drawn  it  from  the  spits,  distributing 
To  each  his  portion,  held  high  festival. 

And  when  the  calls  of  hunger  and  of  thirst 
Were  silenced,  Nestor,  the  Gerenian  knight,  90 
Began  discourse,  and  thus  bespake  his  guests  :  — 
“The  fitting  time  is  come  to  ask  our  guests 
Who  they  may  be,  since  now  their  feast  is  o’er. 

Say  then,  O  strangers,  who  ye  are,  and  whence 


Book  III 


43 


Ye  come  along  the  pathway  of  the  deep.  95 

Have  ye  an  errand  here,  or  do  ye  roam 

The  seas  at  large,  like  pirates,  braving  death, 

And  visiting  with  ravage  foreign  states  ?  ” 

And  then  discreet  Telemachus  replied 
Boldly,  —  for  Pallas  strengthened  in  that  hour  100 
His  heart  that  he  might  confidently  ask 
News  of  his  absent  father,  and  so  win 
A  worthy  fame  among  the  sons  of  men  :  — 

“  O  Nestor,  son  of  Neleus,  pride  of  Greece  ! 
Thou  bid’st  us  tell  thee  whence  we  came,  and  I  105 
Will  faithfully  declare  it.  We  are  come 
From  Ithaca,  beneath  the  Neritus, 

And  private,  and  not  general,  is  the  cause 
Of  which  I  am  to  speak.  I  came  to  ask 
Concerning  my  great  father,  the  large -souled  no 
And  nobly-born  Ulysses,  who ’t  is  said 
With  thee,  his  friend  in  arms,  laid  waste  the  town 
Of  Ilium.  We  have  heard  where  all  the  rest 
Who  warred  against  the  Trojans  were  cut  off, 

And  died  sad  deaths  ;  his  fate  alone  the  son  115 
Of  Saturn  hath  not  chosen  to  reveal,  — 

Whether  he  fell  on  land  by  hostile  hands, 

Or  while  at  sea  was  whelmed  beneath  the  waves 
Of  Amphitritb.  Wherefore  to  thy  knees 
I  come,  to  ask  that  thou  —  if  so  thou  wilt  —  ™ 

Relate  the  manner  of  his  mournful  death, 

As  thou  didst  see  it  with  thine  eyes,  or  else 
As  thou  from  other  wanderers  hast  heard 


44 


The  Odyssey. 


Its  history ;  for  she  who  brought  him  forth 
Bore  him  to  be  unhappy.  Think  thou  not  125 

To  soften  aught,  through  tenderness  to  me, 

In  thy  recital,  but  in  faithful  words 

Tell  me  the  whole,  whatever  thou  hast  seen. 

And  I  conjure  thee,  that  if,  in  his  life, 

My  father,  great  Ulysses,  ever  gave  13° 

Promise  of  word  or  deed  for  thee,  and  kept 
His  promise,  in  the  realm  of  Troy,  where  ye 
Achaians  bore  such  hardships,  that  thou  now 
Remember  it  and  speak  without  disguise.” 

And  Nestor  the  Gerenian  knight  replied  : —  133 

“  My  friend,  since  thou  recallest  to  my  mind 
The  sufferings  borne  by  us  the  sons  of  Greece, 
Although  of  peerless  valor,  in  that  land, 

Both  when  we  ranged  in  ships  the  darkling  sea 
For  booty  wheresoe’er  Achilles  led,  140 

And  when  around  King  Priam’s  populous  town 
We  fought,  where  fell  our  bravest,  know  thou  then 
That  there  the  valiant  Ajax  lies,  and  there 
Achilles ;  there  Patroclus,  like  the  gods 
In  council ;  there  my  well-beloved  son  145 

Blameless  and  brave,  Antilochus  the  swift 
Of  foot  and  warlike,  —  many  woes  beside 
We  bore,  and  who  of  mortal  birth  could  give 

Their  history?  Nay,  though  thou  shouldst  remain 

% 

Five  years  or  six,  and  ask  of  all  the  griefs  150 

Endured  by  the  brave  Greeks,  thou  wouldst  depart 
Outwearied  to  thy  home,  ere  thou  hadst  heard 


Book  III. 


45 


The  whole.  Nine  years  in  harassing  the  foe 
We  passed,  beleaguering  them  and  planning  wiles 
Innumerable.  Saturn’s  son  at  last  iss 

With  difficulty  seemed  to  close  the  war. 

Then  was  there  none  who  might  presume  to  vie 
In  wisdom  with  Ulysses  ;  that  great  man 
Excelled  in  every  kind  of  stratagem,  — 

Thy  father,  —  if  indeed  thou  be  his  son.  !&> 

I  look  on  thee  amazed  ;  all  thy  discourse 
Is  just  like  his,  and  one  would  ne’er  believe 
A  younger  man  could  speak  so  much  like  him. 
While  we  were  there,  Ulysses  and  myself 
In  council  or  assembly  never  spake  165 

On  different  sides,  but  with  a  like  intent 
We  thoughtfully  consulted  how  to  guide 
The  Achaians  in  the  way  we  deemed  the  best ; 

But  after  we  had  overthrown  and  spoiled 
King  Priam’s  lofty  city,  and  set  sail  170 

For  home,  and  by  some  heavenly  power  the  Greeks 
Were  scattered,  Jupiter  ordained  for  them 
A  sad  return.  For  all  were  neither  wise 
Nor  just,  and  many  drew  upon  themselves 
,  An  evil  doom,  —  the  fatal  wrath  of  her,  175 

The  blue-eyed  maid,  who  claims  her  birth  from  Jove. 
’T  was  she  who  kindled  strife  between  the  sons 
Of  Atreus.  They  had  called  the  Achaians  all 
To  an  assembly,  not  with  due  regard 
To  order,  at  the  setting  of  the  sun,  180 

And  thither  came  the  warriors  overpowered 


4  6 


The  Odyssey. 


With  wine.  The  brother  kings  set  forth  the  cause 

Of  that  assembly.  Menelaus  first 

Bade  all  the  Greeks  prepare  for  their  return 

O’er  the  great  deep.  That  counsel  little  pleased  185 

King  Agamemnon,  who  desired  to  keep 

The  people  longer  there,  that  he  might  soothe 

By  sacred  hecatombs  the  fiery  wrath 

Of  Pallas.  Fool !  who  could  not  see  how  vain 

Were  such  persuasion,  for  the  eternal  gods 

Are  not  soon  won  to  change  their  purposes. 

They  stood  disputing  thus,  with  bitter  words, 

Till  wrangling  noisily  on  different  sides 

Rose  up  the  well-armed  Greeks.  The  ensuing  night 

We  rested,  but  we  cherished  in  our  breasts  19s 

A  mutual  hate  ‘  so  for  our  punishment 

Had  Jove  ordained.  With  early  morn  we  drew 

Our  ships  to  the  great  deep,  and  put  our  goods 

And  our  deep-bosomed  women  all  on  board. 

Yet  half  the  host  went  not,  but  on  the  shore  200 
Remained  with  Agamemnon,  Atreus’  son, 

And  shepherd  of  the  people.  All  the  rest 
Embarked,  weighed  anchor,  and  sailed  swiftly 
thence  ; 

A  deity  made  smooth  the  mighty  deep, 

And  when  we  came  to  Tenedos  we  paid  205 

Our  offerings  to  the  gods  and  longed  for  home  — 
Vainly  ;  it  pleased  not  unpropitious  Jove 
To  favor  our  return,  and  once  again 
He  sent  among  us  strife.  A  part  of  us 


Book  III. 


47 


Led  by  Ulysses,  that  sagacious  prince,  210 

To  please  Atrides  Agamemnon  turned 
Their  well-oared  galleys  back.  But  I,  with  all 
The  vessels  of  the  fleet  that  followed  me, 

Fled  on  my  way,  perceiving  that  some  god 
Was  meditating  evil.  With  us  fled,  215 

Encouraging  his  men,  the  warlike  son 
Of  Tydeus.  Fair-haired  Menelaus  came 
Later  to  us  in  Lesbos,  where  we  planned 
For  a  long  voyage,  whether  we  should  sail 
Around  the  rugged  Chios,  toward  the  isle  220 

Of  Psyria,  keeping  that  upon  the  left, 

Or  under  Chios  pass  beside  the  steeps 
Of  windy  Mimas.  We  besought  the  god 
That  he  would  show  a  sign,  and  he  complied, 

And  bade  us  to  Euboea  cross  the  deep  225 

Right  in  the  midst,  the  sooner  to  escape 
All  danger.  Then  the  wind  blew  strong  and  shrill, 
And  swiftly  o’er  the  fishy  gulfs  our  fleet 
Flew  on,  and  reached  Gersestus  in  the  night. 

There,  having  passed  the  mighty  deep,  we  made  230 
To,  Neptune  offerings  of  many  a  thigh 
Of  beeves.  The  fourth  day  dawned,  and  now  the 
men 

Of  Diomed,  the  mighty  horseman,  son 
Of  Tydeus,  stopped  at  Argos  with  their  fleet, 

While  I  went  on  to  Pylos  with  the  wind,  23s 

Which  never,  from  the  moment  that  the  god 
First  sent  it  o’er  the  waters,  ceased  to  blow. 


48 


The  Odyssey. 


“  So,  my  dear  child,  I  reached  my  home,  nor  knew 
Nor  heard  from  others  who  among  the  Greeks 
Was  saved,  or  who  had  perished  on  the  way.  =40 

i 

Yet  what  I  since  have  heard  while  here  I  sit 
Within  my  palace  thou  shalt  duly  learn. 

Nor  is  it  what  I  ought  to  keep  from  thee. 

“  ’T  is  said  the  Myrmidonian  spearmen,  led 
By  great  Achilles’  famous  son,  returned  245 

Happily  home  ;  as  happily  the  son 
Of  Pasas,  Philoctetes  the  renowned. 

Idomeneus  brought  also  back  to  Crete 
All  his  companions  who  survived  the  war ; 

The  sea  took  none  of  them.  But  ye  have  heard,  250 
Though  far  away,  the  fate  of  Atreus’  son,  — 

How  he  came  home,  and  how  vEgisthus  laid 

A  plot  to  slay  him,  yet  on  his  own  head 

Drew  heavy  punishment,  —  so  fortunate 

It  is  when  he  who  falls  by  murder  leaves  255 

A  son  ;  for ’t  was  the  monarch’s  son  who  took 

Vengeance  upon  the  crafty  murderer 

Higisthus,  by  whose  hand  Atrides  died. 

Thou  too,  my  friend,  for  thou  art  large  of  frame, 
And  of  a  noble  presence,  be  thou  brave,  260 

That  men  in  time  to  come  may  give  thee  praise.” 

Then  spake  discreet  Telemachus  again  :  — 

£t  O  Nestor,  son  of  Neleus,  pride  of  Greece, 

Ample  was  his  revenge,  and  far  and  wide 

The  Greeks  will  spread  his  fame  to  be  the  song  265 

Of  future  times.  0  might  the  gods  confer 


Book  III. 


49 


On  me  an  equal  power  to  avenge  myself 

On  that  importunate,  overbearing  crew 

Of  suitors,  who  insult  me,  and  devise 

Evil  against  me  !  But  the  gods  deny  270 

Such  fortune  to  my  father  and  to  me, 

And  all  that  now  is  left  me  is  to  bear.” 

Again  spake  Nestor  the  Gerenian  knight:  — 

“  Since  thou,  my  friend,  hast  spoken  words  which 
bring 

What  I  have  heard  to  mind,  —  the  rumor  goes  275 
That  in  thy  palace  many  suitors  wait 
About  thy  mother,  and  in  spite  of  thee 
Do  grievous  wrong.  Now  tell  me  ;  dost  thou  yield 
Willingly,  or  because  the  people,  swayed 
By  oracles,  regard  thee  as  their  foe  ?  280 

Thy  father  yet  may  come  again,  —  who  knows  ?  — 
Alone,  or  with  the  other  Greeks,  to  take 
The  vengeance  which  these  violent  deeds  deserve. 
Should  blue-eyed  Pallas  deign  to  favor  thee, 

As  once  she  watched  to  guard  the  glorious  chief  285 
Ulysses  in  the  realm  of  Troy,  where  we, 

The  Achaians,  bore  such  hardships,  —  for  I  ne’er 
Have  seen  the  gods  so  openly  befriend 
A  man  as  Pallas  there  befriended  him,  — 

Should  she  thus  deign  to  favor  thee  and  keep  290 
Watch  over  thee,  then  haply  some  of  these 
Will  never  think  of  marriage  rites  again.” 

Then  spake  discreet  Telemachus  again  :  — 

“  O  aged  man  !  I  cannot  think  thy  words 

3 


VOL.  I. 


D 


50 


The  Odyssey. 


Will  be  fulfilled  !  for  they  import  too  much  29s 
And  they  amaze  me.  What  thou  sayst  I  wish 
May  come  to  pass,  but  know  it  cannot  be, 

Not  even  though  the  gods  should  will  it  so.” 

Then  thus  the  blue-eyed  goddess,  Pallas,  spake :  — 
“  Telemachus,  what  words  have  passed  thy  lips?  300 
Easily  can  a  god,  whene’er  he  will, 

In  the  most  distant  regions  safely  keep 
A  man;  and  I  would  rather  reach  my  home 
Securely,  after  many  hardships  borne, 

Than  perish  suddenly  on  my  return  305 

As  Agamemnon  perished  by  the  guile 
Of  base  ^Egisthus  and  the  queen.  And  yet 
The  gods  themselves  have  not  the  power  to  save 
Whom  most  they  cherish  from  the  common  doom 
When  cruel  fate  brings  on  the  last  long  sleep.”.  310 

Discreet  Telemachus  made  answer  thus  :  — 

“  Let  us,  O  Mentor,  talk  no  more  of  this, 

Though  much  we  grieve  ;  he  never  will  return, 

For  his  is  the  black  doom  of  death  ordained 
By  the  great  gods.  Now  suffer  me  to  ask  315 

Of  Nestor  further,  since  to  him  are  known, 

Beyond  all  other  men,  the  rules  of  right 
And  prudence.  He  has  governed,  so  men  say, 
Three  generations,  and  to  me  he  seems 
>•  In  aspect  life  jthe%(er-living  gods.  32® 

O  Nestor,  son  of  Neleus,  truly  say 
**  How  died  the  monarch  over  mighty  realms, 

Atridgs  ^gaiiremnon  ?  Where  was  then 


Book  III. 


Si 


His  brother  Menelaus  ?  By  what  arts 
Did  treacherous  ^Egisthus  plan  his  death 


And  slay  a  braver  warrior  than  himself? 

Was  not  the  brother  in  the  Achaian  town 
Of  Argos  ?  or  was  he  a  wanderer 
In  other  lands,  which  made  the  murderer  bold  ?  ” 
The  knight,  Gerenian  Nestor,  answered  thus  :  —  330 
“  I  will  tell  all  and  truly.  Thou  hast  guessed 
Rightly  and  as  it  happened.  Had  the  son 
Of  Atreus,  fair-haired  Menelaus,  come 
From  Troy,  and  found  ^Fgisthus  yet  alive 
Within  the  palace,  he  had  never  flung  335 

The  loose  earth  on  his  corpse,  but  dogs  and  birds 
Had  preyed  upon  it,  lying  in  the  fields 
Far  from  the  city,  and  no  woman’s  voice 
Of  all  the  Greeks  had  raised  the  wail  for  him. 

Great  was  the  crime  he  plotted.  We  were  yet  340 
Afar,  enduring  the  hard  toils  of  war, 

While  he,  securely  couched  in  his  retreat 
At  Argos,  famed  for  steeds,  with  flattering  words 
Corrupted  Agamemnon’s  queen.  At  first 
The  noble  Clytemnestra  turned  away  34s 

With  horror  from  the  crime  ;  for  yet  her  heart 
Was  right,  and  by  her  side  there  stood  a  bard 
With  whom  A 
Had  left  his  v 

But  when  the  OK 


For  his  destri 
The  minstrel 


52 


The  Odyssey. 


Left  him  to  be  devoured  by  birds  of  prey, 

And  led  the  queen,  as  willing  as  himself, 

To  his  own  palace.  Many  a  victim’s  thigh  355 
Upon  the  hallowed  altars  of  the  gods 
He  offered,  many  a  gift  of  ornaments 
Woven  or  wrought  in  gold  he  hung  within 
Their  temples,  since  at  length  the  mighty  end 
For  which  he  hardly  dared  to  hope  was  gained.  360 
We  sailed  together  from  the  coast  of  Troy, 

Atrides,  Menelaus,  and  myself, 

Friends  to  each  other.  When  the  headland  height 
Of  Athens,  hallowed  Sunium,  met  our  eyes, 

Apollo  smote  with  his  still  shafts,*  and  slew  36s 
Phrontis,  Onetor’s  son,  who  steered  the  bark 
Of  Menelaus,  holding  in  his  hands 
The  rudder  as  the  galley  scudded  on,  — 

And  skilled  was  he  beyond  all  other  men 
To  guide  a  vessel  when  the  storm  was  high.  370 
So  there  did  Menelaus  stay  his  course, 

Though  eager  to  go  on,  that  he  might  lay 
His  friend  in  earth  and  pay  the  funeral  rites. 

But  setting  sail  again  with  all  his  fleet 

Upon  the  dark-blue  sea,  all-seeing  Jove  37s 

Decreed  a  perilous  voyage.  He  sent  forth 

His  shrill-voiced  hurricane,  and  heaped  on  high 

The  mountain  waves.  There,  scattering  the  barks 

Far  from  each  other,  part  he  drove  to  Crete, 

Where  the  Cyclonians  dwell,  beside  the  stream  380 
Of  Jardanus.  A  smooth  and  pointed  rock 


Book  III. 


53 


Just  on  the  bounds  of  Gortys  stands  amidst 
The  dark-blue  deep.  The  south  wind  thitherward 
Sweeps  a  great  sea  towards  Phoestus,  and  against 
The  headland  on  the  left,  where  that  small  rock  38s 
Meets  and  withstands  the  mighty  wave.  The  ships 
Were  driven  on  this,  and  scarce  the  crews  escaped 
With  life  ;  the  ships  were  dashed  against  the  crags 
And  wrecked,  save  five,  and  these,  with  their  black 
prows, 

Were  swept  toward  Egypt  by  the  winds  and 
waves.  390 

“  Thus  adding  to  his  wealth  and  gathering  gold 
He  roamed  the  ocean  in  his  ships  among 
Men  of  strange  speech.  ./Egisthus  meantime 
planned 

His  guilty  deeds  at  home  ;  he  slew  the  king 
Atrides,  and  the  people  took  his  yoke.  395 

Seven  years  in  rich  Mycenae  he  bore  rule, 

And  on  the  eighth,  to  his  destruction,  came 
The  nobly-born  Orestes,  just  returned 
From  Athens,  and  cut  off  that  man  of  blood, 

The  crafty  wretch  AEgisthus,  by  whose  hand  400 

Fell  his  illustrious  father.  Then  he  bade 
The  Argives  to  the  solemn  burial-feast 
Of  his  bad  mother  and  the  craven  wretch 
AEgisthus.  Menelaus,  that  same  day, 

The  great  in  war,  arrived,  and  brought  large 
wealth  —  40s 

So  large  his  galleys  could  contain  no  more. 


54 


The  Odyssey. 


“  And  thou,  my  friend,  be  thou  not  long  away, 
Wandering  from  home,  thy  rich  possessions  left, 
And  in  thy  palace-halls  a  lawless  crew, 

Lest  they  devour  thy  substance,  and  divide  4» 
Thy  goods,  and  thou  have  crossed  the  sea  in  vain. 
Yet  must  I  counsel  and  enjoin  on  thee 
To  visit  Menelaus,  who  has  come 
Just  now  from  lands  and  nations  of  strange  men, 
Whence  one  could  hardly  hope  for  a  return  ;  415 

Whom  once  the  tempest’s  violence  had  driven 
Into  that  great  wide  sea  o’er  which  the  birds 
Of  heaven  could  scarce  fly  hither  in  a  year, 

Such  is  its  fearful  vastness.  Go  thou  now, 

Thou  with  thy  ship  and  friends  ;  or  if  thou  choose  420 
The  way  by  land,  a  car  and  steeds  are  here, 

And  here  my  sons  to  guide  thee  to  the  town 

Of  hallowed  Lacedaemon,  there  to  find 

The  fair-haired  Menelaus.  Earnestly 

Beseech  of  him  that  he  declare  the  truth.  425 

Falsely  he  will  not  speak,  for  he  is  wise.” 

He  spake  ;  the  sun  went  down  ;  the  darkness  crept 
Over  the  earth,  and  blue-eyed  Pallas  said  :  — 

“  Most  wisely  hast  thou  spoken,  ancient  man. 

Now  cut  ye  out  the  tongues,  and  mingle  wine,  430 
That  we  to  Neptune  and  the  other  gods 
May  pour  libations,  and  then  think  of  rest ; 

For  now  the  hour  is  come ;  the  light  is  gone, 

Nor  at  a  feast  in  honor  of  the  gods 

Should  we  long  sit,  but  in  good  time  withdraw.”  43s 


Book  III. 


55 


Jove’s  daughter  spake ;  they  hearkened  to  her 
words  ; 

The  heralds  came  to  them,  and  on  their  hands 
Poured  water ;  boys  began  to  fill  the  bowls 
To  the  hard  brim,  and  ministered  to  each 
From  left  to  right.  Then  threw  they  to  the  flames  440 
The  victims’  tongues,  and,  rising,  poured  on  earth 
Wine  to  the  gods  ;  and  when  that  rite  was  paid, 
And  when  their  thirst  was  satiate,  Pallas  rose 
With  nobly-born  Telemachus  to  go 
To  their  good  ship,  but  Nestor  still  detained  443 
The  twain,  and  chidingly  bespake  them  thus  :  — 

“  Now  Jove  and  all  the  other  gods  forbid 
That  ye  should  go  from  me  to  your  good  ship, 

As  from  some  half-clad  wretch,  too  poor  to  own 
Mantles  and  blankets  in  whose  soft  warm  folds  450 
He  and  his  guests  might  sleep  ;  but  I  have  both  — 
Mantles  and  blankets  —  beautifully  wrought, 

And  never  shall  the  son  of  that  great  man 
Ulysses  lie  upon  a  galley’s  deck 
While  I  am  living.  After  me  I  hope  455 

My  sons,  who  dwell  within  my  palace-halls, 

Will  duly  welcome  all  who  enter  here.” 

And  thus  again  the  blue-eyed  Pallas  spake  :  — 

“  Well  hast  thou  said,  my  aged  friend,  and  well 
Doth  it  become  Telemachus  to  heed  460 

Thy  words,  for  that  were  best.  Let  him  remain 
With  thee  and  sleep  in  thine  abode,  while  I 
Repair  to  our  black  ship,  encouraging 


56 


The  Odyssey. 


The  crew,  and  setting  them  their  proper  tasks, 

For  I  am  eldest  of  them  all ;  the  rest  46s 

Are  young  men  yet,  and  moved  by  friendship  joined 
Our  enterprise  ;  the  peers  in  age  are  they 
Of  the  large-souled  Telemachus.  To-night 
I  sleep  within  the  hull  of  our  black  ship, 

And  sail  with  early  morning  for  the  land  470 

Of  the  Cauconians,  large  of  soul,  from  whom 
A  debt  is  due  me,  neither  new  nor  small. 

Send  meantime  from  thy  palace  in  a  car, 

And  with  thy  son,  this  youth,  and  be  the  steeds 
The  fleetest  and  the  strongest  in  thy  stalls.”  475 
The  blue-eyed  Pallas,  having  spoken  thus, 

Passed  like  an  eagle  out  of  sight,  and  all 
Were  seized  with  deep  amazement  as  they  saw. 

The  aged  monarch,  wondering  at  the  sight, 

Took  by  the  hand  Telemachus,  and  said  : —  4&> 

“  Of  craven  temper,  and  unapt  for  war, 

O  friend,  thou  canst  not  be,  since  thus  the  gods 
Attend  and  guide  thee  in  thy  youth.  And  this, 

Of  all  the  gods  whose  dwelling  is  in  heaven, 

Can  be  no  other  than  the  spoiler-queen  4^5 

Pallas,  the  child  of  Jove,  who  also  held 
Thy  father  in  such  eminent  esteem 
Among  the  Grecians.  Deign  to  favor  us, 

O  queen  !  bestow  on  me  and  on  my  sons 
And  on  my  venerable  spouse  the  meed 
Of  special  glory.  I  will  bring  to  thee 
A  sacrifice,  a  broad-horned  yearling  steer, 


490 


Book  III. 


57 


Which  never  man  hath  tamed  or  led  beneath 
The  yoke.  Her  will  I  bring  with  gilded  horns, 
And  lay  an  offering  on  thine  altar-fires.”  495 

Such  were  his  words,  and  Pallas  heard  the  prayer, 
And  then  Gerenian  Nestor  led  the  way, 

And  with  his  sons  and  sons-in-law  approached 
His  glorious  palace.  When  they  came  within 
The  monarch’s  sumptuous  halls,  each  took  his 
place  soo 

In  order  on  the  couches  and  the  thrones. 

The  old  man  mingled  for  them  as  they  came 
A  bowl  of  delicate  wine,  eleven  years  old, 

Drawn  by  the  damsel  cupbearer,  who  took 
Its  cover  from  the  jar.  The  aged  chief  505 

Mingled  it  in  the  bowl,  and,  pouring  out 
A  part  to  Pallas,  offered  earnest  prayer 
To  her,  who  sprang  from  aegis-bearing  Jove. 

When  due  libations  had  been  made,  and  all 
Drank  till  they  wished  no  more,  most  went  away,  510 
Each  to  his  home  to  sleep  ;  but  Nestor  made 
Telemachus,  the  son  of  the  great  chief 
Ulysses,  rest  upon  a  sumptuous  couch 
Within  the  echoing  hall,  and  near  to  him 
The  chief  of  squadrons,  skilled  to  wield  the  spear,  51s 
Peisistratus,  who  only  of  his  sons 
Abode  in  Nestor’s  halls  unwedded  yet ; 

While  in  an  inner  room  of  that  tall  pile 
The  monarch  slumbered  on  a  bed  of  state, 

Decked  for  him  by  the  labors  of  his  queen.  s» 
3* 


58 


The  Odyssey. 


Soon  as  the  daughter  of  the  dawn  appeared, 

The  rosy-fingered  Morning,  Nestor  left 
His  bed  and  went  abroad,  and  took  his  seat 
On  smooth  white  stones  before  his  lofty  doors, 

That  glistened  as  with  oil,  on  which  before  525 
Sat  Neleus,  wise  in  council  as  the  gods. 

But  he  had  yielded  to  the  will  of  fate, 

And  passed  into  the  Underworld.  Now  sat 
Gerenian  Nestor  in  his  father’s  place, 

The  guardian  of  the  Greeks.  Around  his  sOat,  530 
Just  from  the  chambers  of  their  rest,  his  sons 
Echephron,  Stratius,  and  Aretus  came, 

Perseus,  and  Thrasymedes  ;  after  these 
Came  brave  Peisistratus,  the  sixth  and  last. 

They  led  Telemachus,  the  godlike  youth,  535 

And  placed  him  near  them.  The  Gerenian  knight 
Nestor  began,  and  thus  bespake  his  sons  :  — 

“  Do  quickly  what  I  ask,  dear  sons,  and  aid 
To  render  Pallas,  first  of  all  the  gods, 

Propitious,  —  Pallas,  who  has  deigned  to  come,  540 
And  at  a  solemn  feast  to  manifest 
Herself  to  me.  Let  one  of  you  go  forth 
Among  the  fields,  and  bring  a  heifer  thence, 

Led  by  the  herdsman.  To  the  dark-hulled  ship 
Of  the  large-souled  Telemachus  I  bid  545 

Another  son  repair,  and  bring  the  crew 
Save  only  two ;  and  let  another  call 
Laerceus  hither,  skilled  to  work  in  gold, 

That  he  may  plate  with  gold  the  heifer’s  horns. 


Book  III. 


59 


Let  all  the  rest  remain  to  bid  the  maids  sso 

Within  prepare  a  sumptuous  feast,  and  bring 
Seats,  wood,  and  limpid  water  from  the  fount.” 

He  spake,  and  all  were  busy.  From  the  field 
The  bullock  came ;  from  the  swift-sailing  bark 
Came  the  companions  of  the  gallant  youth  sss 

Telemachus  ;  with  all  his  implements  — 

Hammer  and  anvil,  and  well-jointed  tongs  — 

With  which  he  wrought,  the  goldsmith  also  came, 
And  to  be  present  at  the  sacred  rites 
Pallas  came  likewise.  Nestor,  aged  knight,  560 
Brought  forth  the  gold  ;  the  artisan  prepared 
The  metal,  and  about  the  bullock’s  horns 
Wound  it,  that  Pallas  might  with  pleasure  see 
The  victim  so  adorned.  Then  Stratius  grasped 
The  horns,  and,  aided  by  Echephron,  led  565 

The  bullock.  From  his  room  Aretus  brought 
A  laver  filled  with  water  in  one  hand, 

And  in  the  other  hand  a  canister 
Of  cakes,  while  Thrasymedes,  great  in  war, 

Stood  near  with  a  sharp  axe,  about  to  smite  57° 
The  victim.  Perseus  held  a  vase  to  catch 
The  blood,  while  Nestor,  aged  horseman,  took 
Water  and  cakes,  and  offering  first  a  part, 

And  flinging  the  shorn  forelock  to  the  flames, 
Prayed  to  the  goddess  Pallas  fervently.  57s 

And  now,  when  they  had  prayed,  and  flung  the 
cakes, 

The  large-souled  Thrasymedes,  Nestor’s  son, 


60  The  Odyssey. 

Struck,  where  he  stood,  the  blow ;  the  bullock’s 
strength 

Gave  way.  At  once  the  daughters  of  the  king, 
And  his  sons’  wives,  and  queen  Eurydice,  —  580 

Nestor’s  chaste  wife,  and  daughter  eldest  born 
Of  Clymenus,  broke  forth  in  shrilly  cries. 

From  the  great  earth  the  sons  then  lifted  up 
And  held  the  victim’s  head.  Peisistratus, 

The  chief  of  squadrons,  slew  it.  When  the 
blood  535 

Had  ceased  to  flow,  and  life  had  left  its  limbs, 

They  quickly  severed  joint  from  joint ;  they  hewed 
The  thighs  away,  and  duly  covered  them 
With  caul,  a  double  fold,  on  which  they  laid 
Raw  strips  of  flesh.  The  aged  monarch  burned  590 
These  over  the  cleft  wood,  and  poured  dark  wine  ' 
Upon  them,  while  beside  him  stood  the  youths 
With  five-pronged  spits  ;  and  when  the  thighs  were 
burned 

And  entrails  tasted,  all  the  rest  they  carved 
Into  small  portions  and  transfixed  with  spits,  595 
And  roasted,  holding  the  sharp  spits  in  hand. 
Meantime,  fair  Polycaste,  youngest  bom 
Of  Nestor’s  daughters,  gave  Telemachus 
The  bath  ;  and  after  he  had  bathed  she  shed 
A  rich  oil  over  him,  and  in  a  cloak  600 

Of  noble  texture  and  a  tunic  robed 
The  prince,  who,  like  a  god  in  presence,  left 
The  bath,  and  took  his  place  where  Nestor  sat, 


Book  III. 


6 1 


The  shepherd  of  the  people.  When  the  youths 
Had  roasted  well  and  from  the  spits  with¬ 
drawn  60s 

The  flesh,  they  took  their  places  at  the  feast. 

Then  rose  up  chosen  men,  and  poured  the  wine 
Into  the  cups  of  gold  ;  and  when  at  length 
The  thirst  and  appetite  were  both  allayed, 

The  knight,  Gerenian  Nestor,  thus  began  : —  610 

“  Rise  now,  my  sons ;  join  to  the  bright-haired 
steeds 

My  car,  and  let  Telemachus  depart.” 

He  spake  ;  they  hearkened  and  obeyed,  and 
straight 

Yoked  the  swift  horses  to  the  car.  Then  came 
The  matron  of  the  household,  laying  bread  615 
And  wine  within  the  car,  and  dainties  such 
As  make  a  prince’s  fare.  Telemachus 
Then  climbed  into  the  sumptuous  seat.  The  son 
Of  Nestor  and  the  chief  of  armed  bands, 
Peisistratus,  climbed  also,  took  his  place  620 

Beside  him,  grasped  the  reins,  and  with  the  lash 
Urged  on  the  coursers.  Not  unwillingly 
They  darted  toward  the  plain,  and  left  behind 
The  lofty  Pylos.  All  that  day  they  shook 
The  yoke  on  both  their  necks.  The  sun  went 
down ;  625 

The  highways  lay  in  darkness  when  they  came 
To  Pherae  and  the  abode  of  Diodes, 

Son  of  Orsilochus,  who  claimed  to  be 


62 


The  Odyssey. 


The  offspring  of  Alpheius.  They  with  him 
Found  welcome  there,  and  there  that  night  they 
slept.  63o 

And  when  the  rosy-fingered  Morn  appeared, 

They  yoked  the  horses,  climbed  the  shining  car, 
And  issued  from  the  palace  gate  beneath 
The  sounding  portico.  Peisistratus 
Wielded  the  lash  to  urge  the  coursers  on,  63S 

And  not  unwillingly  they  flew  and  reached 
A  land  of  harvests.  Here  the  travellers  found 
Their  journey’s  end,  so  swiftly  those  fleet  steeds 
Had  borne  them  on.  And  now  the  sun  went 
down, 

And  darkness  gathered  over  all  the  ways.  640 


'-o 

BOOK  IV. 

THEY  came  to  Lacedaemon’s  valley,  seamed 
With  dells,  and  to  the  palace  of  its  king, 

The  glorious  Menelaus,  whom  they  found 
Within,  and  at  a  wedding  banquet,  made 
Both  for  his  blameless  daughter  and  his  son,  5 
And  many  guests.  Her  he  must  send  away, 

Bride  of  the  son  of  that  invincible  chief, 

Achilles.  He  betrothed  her  while  in  Troy, 

And  gave  his  kingly  word,  and  now  the  gods 
Fulfilled  it  by  the  marriage.  He  was  now  10 


Book  IV  63 

Sending  her  forth,  with  steeds  and  cars,  to  reach 
The  noble  city  of  the  Myrmidons, 

Where  ruled  her  consort.  From  the  Spartan  coast 
He  brought  Alector’s  daughter  for  his  son, 

The  gallant  Megapenthes,  borne  to  him  is 

By  a  handmaiden  in  his  later  years. 

For  not  to  Helen  had  the  gods  vouchsafed 
Yet  other  offspring,  after  she  had  brought 
A  lovely  daughter  forth,  Hermione, 

Like  golden  Venus  both  in  face  and  form.  20 

So  banqueting  the  neighbors  and  the  friends 
Of  glorious  Menelaus  sat  beneath 
The  lofty  ceiling  of  those  spacious  halls, 

Delighted  with  the  feast.  A  sacred  bard 
Amidst  them  touched  the  harp  and  sang  to  them  25 
While,  as  the  song  began,  two  dancers  sprang 
Into  the  midst  and  trod  the  measure  there 
But  they  —  the  hero-youth  Telemachus 
And  Nestor’s  eminent  son  —  were  at  the  gate, 

And  standing  in  the  entrance  with  their  steeds.  3° 
The  worthy  Eteoneus,  coming  forth, — 

The  trusty  servant  of  the  glorious  son 
Of  Atreus,  —  saw,  and  hastening  thence  to  tell 
The  shepherd  of  the  people,  through  the  hall 
He  came  to  him,  and  spake  these  winged  words  :  —  3s 
“  O  Menelaus,  foster-child  of  Jove, 

Two  strangers  have  arrived,  two  men  who  seem 
Descended  from  almighty  Jupiter. 

Shall  we  then  loose  the  harness  from  their  steeds, 


64 


The  Odyssey. 


f 


Or  bid  them  elsewhere  seek  a  friendly  host  ?  ”  4q 

The  fair-haired  king  indignantly  replied  :  — 

“  Nay,  Eteoneus,  thou  hast  not  been  wont, 

Son  of  Boethus,  thus  to  play  the  fool. 

Thou  pratest  idly,  like  a  child.  Ourselves 
Have  sat,  as  guests,  at  generous  banquets  given  4s 
By  other  men,  when  journeying  hitherward 
In  hope  that  Jove  might  grant  a  respite  here 
From  our  disasters.  Hasten,  then,  to  loose 
The  steeds,  and  bring  the  strangers  to  the  feast.” 

He  spake ;  the  attendant  hastened  forth  and 
called  50 

The  other  trusty  servitors,  with  charge 
To  follow.  They  unyoked  the  sweaty  steeds, 

And  bound  them  to  the  stalls,  and  gave  them  oats, 
With  which  they  mingled  the  white  barley-grains, 
And  close  against  the  shining  wall  they  placed  55 
The  car,  and  then  they  led  the  guests  within 
The  sumptuous  palace.  Entering,  these  admired 
The  palace  of  the  foster-child  of  Jove, 

For  like  the  splendor  of  the  sun  and  moon 

Its  glory  was.  They  with  delighted  eyes  60 

Gazed,  and,  descending  to  the  polished  baths, 

They  bathed.  The  attendant  maids  who  at  the  bath 
Had  ministered,  anointing  them  with  oil, 

Arrayed  the  stranger  guests  in  fleecy  cloaks 
And  tunics.  Each  sat  down  upon  a  throne  6s 
Near  to  Atrides.  Now  a  handmaid  brought 
A  beautiful  ewer  of  gold,  and  laver  wrought 


Book  IV 


65 


Of  silver,  and  poured  water  for  their  hands, 

And  spread  a  polished  table  near  their  seat ; 

The  reverend  matron  of  the  household  came  7° 
With  bread,  and  set  before  them  many  a  dish 
Gathered  from  all  the  feast.  The  carver  next 
Brought  chargers  lifted  high,  and  in  them  meats 
Of  every  flavor,  and  before  them  placed 
Beakers  of  gold.  The  fair-haired  monarch  gave  75 
His  hand  to  each,  and  then  bespake  them  thus  :  — 
“  Now  taste  our  banquet  and  rejoice,  and  when 
Ye  are  refreshed  with  food  we  will  inquire 
Who  ye  may  be  ;  for  ye  are  not  of  those 
Whose  race  degenerates,  ye  are  surely  bora  s0 
Of  sceptred  kings,  the  favorites  of  Jove. 

Ignoble  men  have  never  sons  like  you.” 

Thus  having  said,  and  taking  in  his  hands 
A  fatling  bullock’s  chine,  which  menials  brought 
Roasted,  and  placed  beside  the  king  in  sign  ss 
Of  honor,  this  he  laid  before  his  guests. 

And  they  put  forth  their  hands  and  banqueted  ; 
And  when  the  calls  of  hunger  and  of  thirst 
At  length  were  stilled,  Telemachus  inclined 
His  head  toward  Nestor’s  son,  that  no  one  else  90 
Might  listen  to  his  words,  and  thus  he  said  :  — 

“  See,  son  of  Nestor,  my  beloved  friend, 

In  all  these  echoing  rooms  the  sheen  of  brass, 

Of  gold,  of  amber,  and  of  ivory  ; 

Such  is  the  palace  of  Olympian  Jove  95 

Within  its  walls.  How  many  things  are  here 


E 


66 


The  Odyssey. 


Of  priceless  worth  !  I  wonder  as  I  gaze.” 

The  fair-haired  Menelaus  heard  him  speak, 

And  thus  accosted  both  with  winged  words  :  — 

“  Dear  sons,  no  mortal  man  may  vie  with  Jove,  10° 
Whose  palace  and  possessions  never  know 
Decay,  but  other  men  may  vie  or  not 
In  wealth  with  me.  ’T  was  after  suffering 
And  wandering  long  that  in  my  fleet  I  brought 
My  wealth  with  me,  and  landed  on  this  coast  i°s 
In  the  eighth  year.  For  I  had  roamed  afar 
To  Cyprus  and  to  Phcenice,  and  where 
The  Egyptians  dwell,  and  Ethiopia’s  sons, 

And  the  Sidonians,  and  the  Erembian  race, 

And  to  the  coast  of  Lybia,  where  the  lambs  no 
Are  yeaned  with  budding  horns.  There  do  the  ewes 
Thrice  in  the  circle  of  the  year  bring  forth 
Their  young.  There  both  the  master  of  the  herd 
And  herdsman  know  no  lack  of  cheese,  or  flesh, 

Or  of  sweet  milk  ;  for  there  the  herds  yield  milk  ns 
The  whole  year  round.  While  I  was  roaming  thus, 
iVnd  gathering  store  of  wealth,  another  slew 
My  brother,  unforewarned,  and  through  the  fraud 
Of  his  own  guilty  consort.  Therefore  small 
Is  the  content  I  find  in  bearing  rule  no 

O’er  these  possessions.  Ye  have  doubtless  heard 
This  from  your  parents,  be  they  who  they  may ; 

For  much  have  I  endured,  and  I  have  lost 
A  palace,  a  most  noble  dwelling-place, 

Full  of  things  rare  and  precious.  Even  now  »s 


Book  IV. 


67 


Would  I  possessed  within  my  palace  here 
But  the  third  part  of  these  ;  and  would  that  they 
Were  yet  alive  who  perished  on  the  plain 
Of  Troy  afar  from  Argos  and  its  steeds  ! 

Yet  while  I  grieve  and  while  I  mourn  them  all,  13° 
Here,  sitting  in  my  palace,  I  by  turns 
Indulge  my  heart  in  weeping,  and  by  turns 
I  pause,  for  with  continual  sorrow  comes 
A  weariness  of  spirit.  Yet,  in  truth, 

For  none  of  all  those  warriors,  though  their  fate  13s 
Afflicts  me  sorely,  do  I  so  much  grieve 
As  for  one  hero.  When  I  think  of  him, 

The  feast  and  couch  are  joyless,  since,  of  all 
The  Achaian  chiefs,  none  brought  so  much  to  pass 
As  did  Ulysses,  both  in  what  he  wrought  140 

And  what  he  suffered.  Great  calamities 
Fell  to  his  lot  in  life,  and  to  my  own 
Grief  for  his  sake  that  cannot  be  consoled. 

Long  has  he  been  divided  from  his  friends, 

And  whether  he  be  living  now  or  dead  14s 

We  know  not.  Old  Laertes,  the  sage  queen 
Penelope,  and  young  Telemachus, 

Whom,  when  he  went  to  war  he  left  new-born 
At  home,  are  sorrowing  somewhere  for  his  sake.” 

He  spake,  and  woke  anew  the  young  man’s  grief  150 
For  his  lost  father.  From  his  eyelids  fell 
Tears  at  the  hearing  of  his  father’s  name, 

And  with  both  hands  he  held  before  his  eyes 
The  purple  mantle.  Menelaus  saw 


68  The  Odyssey. 

His  tears,  and  pondered,  doubting  which  were 
best,  —  is5 

To  let  the  stranger  of  his  own  accord 
Speak  of  his  father,  or  to  question  him 
At  first,  and  then  to  tell  him  all  he  knew. 

As  thus  he  pondered,  Helen,  like  in  form 
To  Dian  of  the  golden  distaff,  left  160 

Her  high-roofed  chamber,  where  the  air  was  sweet 
With  perfumes,  and  approached.  Adrasta  placed 
A  seat  for  her  of  costly  workmanship  ; 

Alcippe  brought  a  mat  of  soft  light  wool, 

And  Phylo  with  a  silver  basket  came,  165 

Given  by  Alcandra,  wife  of  Polybus, 

Who  dwelt  at  Thebes,  in  Egypt,  and  whose  house 
Was  rich  in  things  of  price.  Two  silver  baths 
He  gave  to  Menelaus,  tripods  two, 

And  talents  ten  of  gold.  His  wife  bestowed  170 
Beautiful  gifts  on  Helen,  — one  of  gold, 

A  distaff ;  one  a  silver  basket  edged 

With  gold  and  round  in  form.  This  Phylo  brought 

Heaped  with  spun  yarn  and  placed  before  the  queen  ; 

Upon  it  lay  the  distaff,  wrapped  in  wool  175 

Of  color  like  the  violet.  Helen  there 

Sat  down,  a  footstool  at  her  feet,  and  straight 

Questioned  with  earnest  words  her  husband  thus  :  — 

“  Say,  Menelaus,  foster-child  of  Jove, 

Is  it  yet  known  what  lineage  these  men  claim,  — 180 
These  visitants  ?  And  what  I  now  shall  say, 

Will  it  be  false  or  true?  Yet  must  I  speak. 


Book  IV 


69 


190 


195 


Woman  or  man  I  think  I  never  saw 

So  like  another  as  this  youth,  on  whom 

I  look  with  deep  astonishment,  is  like  185 

Telemachus,  the  son  whom  our  great  chief 

Ulysses  left  at  home  a  tender  babe 

When  ye  Achaians  for  my  guilty  sake 

Went  forth  to  wage  the  bloody  war  with  Troy.” 

And  fair-haired  Menelaus  answered  her  :  — 

“  Yea,  wife,  so  deem  I  as  it  seems  to  thee. 

Such  are  his  feet,  his  hands,  the  cast  of  the  eye, 

His  head,  the  hair  upon  his  brow.  Just  now, 

In  speaking  of  Ulysses,  as  I  told 

How  he  had  toiled  and  suffered  for  my  sake, 

The  stranger  held  the  purple  cloak  before 

His  eyes,  and  from  the  lids  dropped  bitter  tears.” 

Peisistratus,  the  son  of  Nestor,  spake 

In  answer  :  “  Menelaus,  foster-child 

Of  Jove  and  son  of  Atreus  !  sovereign  king! 

He  is,  as  thou  hast  said,  that  hero’s  son ; 

But  he  is  modest,  and  he  deems  that  ill 

It  would  become  him,  on  arriving  here, 

If  he  should  venture  in  discourse  while  thou 

Art  present,  in  whose  voice  we  take  delight  205 

As  if  it  wrere  the  utterance  of  a  god. 

The  knight  Gerenian  Nestor  sent  me  forth 

To  guide  him  hither,  —  for  he  earnestly 

Desired  to  see  thee,  that  thou  mightest  give 

Counsel  in  what  he  yet  should  say  or  do. 

• 

For  bitterly  a  son,  who  finds  at  home 


200 


210 


7'0 


The  Odyssey 


No  others  to  befriend  him,  must  lament 

The  absence  of  a  father.  So  it  is 

With  young  Telemachus  ;  for  far  away 

His  father  is,  and  in  the  land  are  none  21s 

Who  have  the  power  to  shelter  him  from  wrong.” 

The  fair-haired  Menelaus  answered  thus  :  — 

“  O  wonder  !  Then  the  son  of  one  most  dear, 

Who  for  my  sake  so  oft  has  braved  and  borne 
The  conflicts  of  the  battle-field,  hath  come  22° 
Beneath  my  roof.  I  thought  that  I  should  greet 
His  father  with  a  warmer  welcome  here 
Than  any  other  of  the  Argive  race, 

When  Jove  the  Olympian  Thunderer  should  grant 
A  safe  return  to  us  across  the  deep  223 

In  our  good  ships.  I  would  have  founded  here 
For  him  a  city  in  Argos,  and  have  built 
Dwellings,  and  would  have  brought  from  Ithaca 
Him  and  his  son,  and  all  his  wealth  and  all 
His  people.  To  this  end  I  would  have  caused  230 
Some  neighboring  district  where  my  sway  is  owned 
To  be  dispeopled.  Dwelling  here  we  oft 
Should  then  have  met  each  other,  and  no  cause 
Would  e’er  have  parted  us,  two  faithful  friends 
Delighting  in  each  other,  till  at  last  235 

Came  Death’s  black  cloud  to  wrap  us  in  its  shade. 
A  god,  no  doubt,  hath  seen  in  this  a  good 
Too  great  for  us,  and  thus  to  him  alone, 

Unhappy  man  !  denied  a  safe  return.” 

He  spake ;  his  words  awoke  in  every  heart 


240 


Book  IV 


Grief  for  the  absent  hero’s  sake.  Then  wept 
The  Argive  Helen,  child  of  Jove  ;  then  wept 
Telemachus  ;  nor  tearless  were  the  eyes 
Of  Nestor’s  son,  for  to  his  mind  arose 
The  memory  of  the  good  Antilochus,  245 

Slain  by  the  bright  Aurora’s  eminent  son  ; 

Of  him  he  thought,  and  spake  these  winged  words  :  — 

“  O  son  of  Atreus  !  aged  Nestor  saith, 

When  in  his  palace  we  discourse  of  thee 

And  ask  each  other’s  thought,  that  thou  art  wise  250 

Beyond  all  other  men.  Now,  if  thou  mayst, 

Indulge  me,  for  not  willingly  I  weep 

Thus  at  the  evening  feast,  and  soon  will  Morn, 

Child  of  the  Dawn,  appear.  I  do  not  blame 

This  sorrow  for  whoever  meets  his  fate  25s 

And  dies  ;  the  only  honors  we  can  pay 

To  those  unhappy  mortals  is  to  shred 

Our  locks  away,  and  wet  our  cheeks  with  tears. 

I  lost  a  brother,  not  the  least  in  worth 

Among  the  Argives,  whom  thou  must  have  seen.  260 

I  knew  him  not :  I  never  saw  his  face ; 

Yet  is  it  said  Antilochus  excelled 

The  others ;  swift  of  foot,  and  brave  in  war.” 

The  fair-haired  Menelaus  answered  him  :  — 

“  Since  thou  my  friend  hast  spoken  thus,  as  one  263 
Discreet  in  word  and  deed,  of  riper  years 
Than  thou,  might  speak  and  act,  —  for  thou  art  born 
Of  such  a  father,  and  thy  words  are  wise,  — 

And  easy  is  it  to  discern  the  son 


72 


The  Odyssey . 


Of  one  on  whom  Saturnius  has  bestowed  =■» 

Both  at  the  birth-hour  and  in  wedded  life 
His  blessing;  as  he  gives  to  Nestor  now 
A  calm  old  age  that  lapses  pleasantly, 

Within  his  palace-halls,  from  day  to  day, 

And  sons  wise-minded,  mighty  with  the  spear,  —  =3 
Then  let  us  lay  aside  this  sudden  grief 
That  has  o’ertaken  us,  and  only  think 
Of  banqueting.  Let  water  now  be  poured 
Upon  our  hands  ;  there  will  be  time  enough. 
To-morrow  for  discourse  ;  Telemachus  =3a 

And  I  will  then  engage  in  mutual  talk.’’ 

He  spake,  Asphalion,  who  with  diligent  heed 
Served  the  great  Menelaus,  on  their  hands 
Poured  water,  and  they  shared  the  meats  that  lay 
Upon  the  board.  But  Helen,  Jove-born  dame,  =$s 
Had  other  thoughts,  and  with  the  wine  they  drank 
Mingled  a  drug,  an  antidote  to  grief 
And  anger,  bringing  quick  forgetfulness 
Of  all  life’s  evils.  Whoso  drinks,  when  once 
It  is  infused  and  in  the  cup,  that  day  293 

Shall  never  wet  his  cheeks  with  tears,  although 
His  father  and  his  mother  lie  in  death. 

Nor  though  his  brother  or  beloved  son 
Fall  butchered  by  the  sword  before  his  eyes. 

Such  sovereign  drugs  she  had,  that  child  of  J  ove,  293 
Given  her  by  Polydamna,  wife  of  Thon, 

A  dame  of  Egypt,  where  the  bounteous  soil 
Brings  forth  abundantly  its  potent  herbs, 


Beck  rr 


71 


Of  vifad~g  some  arm  seme  of  bane,  m  i 
Awed  me  cbvmnms  who  excel  in  skid 
All  cmer  nez_  icr  mey  *re  of  me  race 
Of  PSkjol  >djw  vbez  Heiez  in  me  cm? 

Hsd  pmced  me  drum  me  bidden  mem  m  'em 
Tee  mze  men  m  mm  fee  snake  mmz  — 

“  Amides  bfenemzs.  reared  bp  ’mm. 

An ;  e  ±  e  '  :c  cerces  —  "  :er 

Tbe  severe  iqz.  rives,  at  deisms.  peed  me  A 

T:  me  m  to  iznmer.  f:r  his  cower 

Is  mimics.  —  re  v  smzzp;  m  cbese  balk, 

ream  m  erfev  free  cccreise.  I  v”  sneak  ?= 


"dm:  smm  me  eemsiem  I  coolm  zee 
I  ccdi  zee  even  Ernie  me  mrm  ::ii 
feme  by  Ulysses,  5mm  of  ream  I 
Only  of  wfeat  mm  vilmr:  warrior  cm 
Azc  sememe  once  in  drey,  —fere  ye  g£  msecs  35 
mmec  sm  nrcsrms.  nr  :ic  ym  z  sen 


r<T" 


_e  i-: _ e _ r  ms  s  smm  s. 

Its  szezm  5  im  mm 


•  ^ 


_j _ .. ... 


So  cm  ever:  mm  me  sezbeimee  cbm  be  wers. 

Krsv  vbc  i:  was  cbm  passed.  be  I  perceived. 

Azf  qzesdozei  bzz  be  remeb  my  cess:  csibe  rs 


zzv  ms  vers.  Arner  _  zee  seen 
Tee  bmz  cizcm  meszem  me  need  dm 


TCC  Z 


4 


7  4 


The  Odyssey. 


And  clothed  him,  and  had  sworn  a  solemn  oath 
Not  to  reveal  his  visit  to  the  men 
Of  Ilium  till  he  reached  again  the  tents 
And  galleys,  then  he  opened  to  me  all 
The  plans  of  the  Achaians.  Leaving  me, 

On  his  return  he  slew  with  his  long  spear 
Full  many  a  Trojan,  and  in  safety  reached 
The  Argive  camp  with  tidings  for  the  host. 

Then  wept  aloud  the  Trojan  dames,  but  I 
Was  glad  at  heart,  for  I  already  longed 
For  my  old  home,  and  deeply  I  deplored 
The  evil  fate  that  Venus  brought  on  me, 

Who  led  me  thither  from  my  own  dear  land, 
And  from  my  daughter  and  my  marriage-bower, 
And  from  my  lawful  spouse,  in  whom  I  missed 
No  noble  gift  of  person  or  of  mind.” 

Then  fair-haired  Menelaus  said  to  her :  — 

“  All  thou  hast  spoken,  woman,  is  most  true. 

Of  many  a  valiant  warrior  I  have  known 
The  counsels  and  the  purposes,  and  far 
Have  roamed  in  many  lands,  but  never  yet 
My  eyes  have  looked  on  such  another  man 
As  was  Ulysses,  of  a  heart  so  bold 
And  such  endurance.  Witness  what  he  did 
And  bore,  the  heroic  man,  what  time  we  sat, 
The  bravest  of  the  Argives,  pent  within 
The  wooden  horse,  about  to  bring  to  Troy 
Slaughter  and  death.  Thou  earnest  to  the  place, 
Moved,  as  it  seemed,  by  some  divinity 


Book  IV 


7  5 


Who  thought  to  give  the  glory  of  the  day 
To  Troy.  Deiphobus,  the  godlike  chief, 

Was  with  thee.  Thrice  about  the  hollow  frame 
That  held  the  ambush  thou  didst  walk  and  touch  360 
Its  sides,  and  call  the  Achaian  chiefs  by  name, 

And  imitate  the  voices  of  the  wives 
Of  all  the  Argives.  Diomed  and  I 
Sat  with  the  great  Ulysses  in  the  midst, 

And  with  him  heard  thy  call,  and  rose  at  once  363 
To  sally  forth  or  answer  from  within  ; 

But  he  forbade,  impatient  as  we  were, 

And  so  restrained  us.  All  the  Achaian  chiefs 

Kept  silence  save  Anticlus,  who  alone 

Began  to  speak,  when,  with  his  powerful  hands,  370 

Ulysses  pressed  together  instantly 

The  opening  lips,  and  saved  us  all,  and  thus 

Held  them  till  Pallas  lured  thee  from  the  spot.” 

Then  spake  discreet  Telemachus  again  :  — 

“  Atrides  Menelaus,  reared  by  Jove,  37s 

Ruler  of  tribes  !  the  harder  was  his  lot, 

Since  even  thus  he  could  not  shun  the  stroke 
Of  death,  not  though  a  heart  of  steel  were  his. 

But  now  dismiss  us  to  our  beds,  that  there, 

Couched  softly,  we  may  welcome  balmy  sleep.”  3&0 

He  spake,  and  Argive  Helen  called  her  maids 
To  make  up  couches  in  the  portico, 

And  throw  fair  purple  blankets  over  them, 

And  tapestry  above,  and  cover  all 

With  shaggy  cloaks.  Forth  from  the  palace  halls  385 


76 


The  Odyssey. 


They  went  with  torches,  and  made  ready  soon 
The  couches ;  thither  heralds  led  the  guests. 

There  in  the  vestibule  Telemachus, 

The  hero,  and  with  him  the  eminent  son 
Of  Nestor,  took  their  rest.  Meanwhile  the  son  390 
Of  Atreus  lay  within  an  inner  room 
Of  that  magnificent  pile,  and  near  to  him 
The  glorious  lady,  long-robed  Helen,  slept. 

But  when  at  length  the  daughter  of  the  Dawn, 

The  rosy-fingered  Morning,  brought  her  fight,  39* 
Then  Menelaus,  great  in  battle,  rose, 

Put  on  his  garments,  took  his  trenchanc  sword, 

And,  having  hung  it  on  his  shoulder,  laced 
The  shapely  sandals  to  his  shining  feet, 

And  issued  from  his  chamber  like  a  god  400 

In  aspect.  Near  Telemachus  he  took 
His  seat,  and  calling  him  by  name  he  spake  :  — 
“What  urgent  cause,  my  brave  Telemachus, 
Brings  thee  to  sacred  Lacedaemon  o’er 
The  breast  of  the  great  ocean?  Frankly  say,  40s 
Is  it  a  private  or  a  public  need  ?  ” 

And  thus  discreet  Telemachus  replied  :  — 

“  Atrides  Menelaus,  reared  by  Jove, 

Ruler  of  nations  !  I  am  come  to  ask 

News  of  my  father,  if  thou  knowest  aught.  4x0 

My  heritage  is  wasting  ;  my  rich  fields 

Are  made  a  desolation.  Enemies 

Swarm  in  my  palace,  and  from  day  to  day 

Slaughter  my  flocks  and  slow-paced  horned  herds ; 


Book  IV 


77 


My  mother’s  suitors  they,  and  measureless  41s 

Their  insolence.  And  therefore  am  I  come 
To  clasp  thy  knees,  and  pray  thee  to  relate 
The  manner  of  my  father’s  sorrowful  death 
As  thou  hast  seen  it  with  thine  eyes,  or  heard 
Its  story  from  some  wandering  man,  —  for  sure  420 
His  mother  brought  him  forth  to  wretchedness 
Beyond  the  common  lot.  I  ask  thee  not 
To  soften  aught  in  the  sad  history 
Through  tenderness  to  me,  or  kind  regard, 

But  tell  me  plainly  all  that  thou  dost  know  ;  4?s 

And  I  beseech  thee,  if  at  any  time 
My  father,  good  Ulysses,  brought  to  pass 
Aught  that  he  undertook  for  thee  in  word 
Or  act  while  ye  were  in  the  realm  of  Troy, 

Where  the  Greeks  suffered  sorely,  bear  it  now  430 
In  mind,  and  let  me  have  the  naked  truth.” 

Then  Menelaus  of  the  amber  locks 
Drew  a  deep  sigh,  and  thus  in  answer  said  :  — 

“  Heavens !  they  would  climb  into  a  brave  man’s  bed, 
These  craven  weaklings.  But  as  when  a  hart  433 
Has  hid  her  new-born  suckling  fawns  within 
The  lair  of  some  fierce  lion,  and  gone  forth 
Herself  to  range  the  mountain-sides  and  feed 
Among  the  grassy  lawns,  the  lion  comes 
Back  to  the  place  and  brings  them  sudden  death,  44* 
So  will  Ulysses  bring  a  bloody  fate 
Upon  the  suitor  crew.  O  father  Jove, 

And  Pallas,  and  Apollo !  I  could  wish 


78 


The  Odyssey. 


That  now,  with  prowess  such  as  once  was  his 
When  he,  of  yore,  in  Lesbos  nobly  built,  44s 

Rising  to  strive  with  Philomela’s  son, 

In  wrestling  threw  him  heavily,  and  all 
The  Greeks  rejoiced,  Ulysses  might  engage 
The  suitors.  Short  were  then  their  term  of  life, 
And  bitter  would  the  nuptial  banquet  be.  4s° 

Now  for  the  questions  thou  hast  put,  and  craved 
From  me  a  true  reply,  I  will  not  seek 
To  pass  them  by  with  talk  of  other  things, 

Nor  yet  deceive  thee,  but  of  all  that  once 

Was  told  me  by  the  Ancient  of  the  Deep,  455 

Whose  words  are  truth,  I  shall  keep  nothing  back. 

“  In  Egypt  still,  though  longing  to  come  home, 
The  gods  detained  me  ;  for  I  had  not  paid 
The  sacrifice  of  chosen  hecatombs, 

And  ever  do  the  gods  require  of  us  4<x> 

Remembrance  of  their  laws.  There  is  an  isle 
Within  the  billowy  sea  before  you  reach 
The  coast  of  Egypt,  —  Pharos  is  its  name,  — 

At  such  a  distance  as  a  ship  could  pass 

In  one  whole  day  with  a  shrill  breeze  astern.  465 

A  sheltered  haven  lies  within  that  isle, 

Whence  the  good  ships  go  forth  with  fresh  supplies 
Of  water.  There  the  gods  constrained  my  stay 
For  twenty  days,  and  never  in  that  time 
Blew  favoring  winds  across  the  waters,  such  470 
As  bear  the  galley  over  the  great  deep. 

Now  would  our  stores  of  food  have  been  consumed, 


Book  IV 


79 


Now  would  the  courage  of  ray  men  have  died, 

Had  not  a  goddess  pitied  me,  and  come 

To  my  relief,  by  name  Idothea,  born  475 

To  the  great  Proteus,  Ancient  of  the  Deep. 

For  she  was  moved  by  my  distress,  and  came 
To  me  while  I  was  wandering  alone, 

Apart  from  all  the  rest.  They  through  the  isle 
Roamed  everywhere  from  place  to  place,  and, 
pinched  480 

With  hunger,  threw  the  hook  for  fish.  She  came, 
And,  standing  near,  accosted  me  and  said  :  — 

“  {  Stranger,  thou  art  an  idiot,  or  at  least 
Of  careless  mood,  or  else  art  willingly 
Neglectful,  and  art  pleased  with  suffering,  485 

That  thou  dost  linger  in  this  isle  so  long 
And  find  no  means  to  leave  it,  while  the  hearts 
Of  thy  companions  faint  with  the  delay.’ 

“  She  spake,  and  I  replied  :  1  Whoe’er  thou  art, 
O  goddess,  let  me  say,  not  willingly  490 

I  linger  here.  I  surely  must  have  sinned 
Against  the  immortal  dwellers  of  high  heaven ; 

But  tell  me  — •  for  the  gods  know  all  things  —  who 
Of  all  the  immortals  holds  me  windbound  here, 
Hindering  my  voyage  ;  tell  me  also  how  49s 

To  reach  my  home  across  the  fishy  deep.’ 

“  I  ended,  and  the  glorious  goddess  said 
In  answer  :  ‘  Stranger,  I  will  truly  speak  ; 

The  deathless  Ancient  of  the  Deep,  whose  words 
Are  ever  true,  Egyptian  Proteus,  oft  5°° 


8o 


The  Odyssey. 


Here  makes  his  haunt.  To  him  are  fully  known  — 
For  he  is  Neptune’s  subject  —  all  the  depths 
Of  the  great  ocean.  It  is  said  I  owe 
To  him  my  birth.  If  him  thou  canst  insnare 
And  seize,  he  will  disclose  to  thee  thy  way  505 

And  all  its  distances,  and  tell  thee  how 
To  reach  thy  home  across  the  fishy  deep ; 

And  further  will  reveal,  if  so  he  choose, 

O  foster-child  of  Jove,  whate’er  of  good 

Or  ill  has  in  thy  palace  come  to  pass,  s» 

While  thou  wert  wandering  long  and  wearily.’ 

“  So  said  the  goddess,  and  I  spake  again  :  — 

‘  Explain  by  what  device  to  snare  and  hold 
The  aged  deity,  lest  he  foreknow 
Or  else  suspect  our  purpose  and  escape.  513 

’T  were  hard  for  mortals  to  constrain  a  god.’ 

“  I  ended,  and  the  glorious  goddess  thus 
Made  answer :  ‘  When  the  climbing  sun  has  reached 
The  middle  heaven,  the  Ancient  of  the  Deep, 

Who  ne’er  deceives,  emerges  from  the  waves,  520 
And,  covered  with  the  dark  scum  of  the  sea, 

Walks  forth,  and  in  a  cavern  vault  lies  down. 
Thither  fair  Halosydna’s  progeny, 

The  sea-calves  from  the  hoary  ocean,  throng, 

Rank  with  the  bitter  odor  of  the  brine,  525 

And  slumber  near  him.  With  the  break  of  day 
I  will  conduct  thee  thither  and  appoint 
Thy  place,  but  thou  shalt  choose  to  go  with  thee 
Three  of  the  bravest  men  in  thy  good  ships. 


Book  IV 


81 


And  let  me  now  relate  the  stratagems  530 

Of  the  old  prophet.  He  at  first  will  count 
The  sea-calves,  going  o’er  them  all  by  fives  ; 

And  when  he  has  beheld  and  numbered  all, 

Amidst  them  all  will  he  lie  down,  as  lies 
A  shepherd  midst  his  flock.  And  then,  as  soon  53s 
As  ye  behold  him  stretched  at  length,  exert 
Your  utmost  strength  to  hold  him  there,  although 
He  strive  and  struggle  to  escape  your  hands  ; 

For  he  will  try  all  stratagems,  and  take 

The  form  of  every  reptile  on  the  earth,  540 

And  turn  to  water  and  to  raging  flame,  — 

Yet  hold  him  firmly  still,  and  all  the  more 
Make  fast  the  bands.  When  he  again  shall  take 
The  form  in  which  thou  sawest  him  asleep, 

Desist  from  force,  and  loose  the  bands  that  held  54s 
The  ancient  prophet.  Ask  of  him  what  god 
Afflicts  thee  thus,  and  by  what  means  to  cross 
The  fishy  deep  and  find  thy  home  again.’ 

“  Thus  having  said,  the  goddess  straightway  sprang 
Into  the  billowy  ocean,  while  I  sought  550 

The  galleys,  where  they  rested  on  the  sand, 

With  an  uneasy  spirit.  When  I  reached 
The  ship  and  shore  we  made  our  evening  meal. 

The  hallowed  night  came  down  ;  we  lay  and  slept 
Upon  the  sea-beach.  When  the  Morning  came,  555 
The  rosy-fingered  daughter  of  the  Dawn, 

Forth  on  the  border  of  the  mighty  main 
I  went,  and  prayed  the  immortals  fervently. 

4*  F 


82 


The  Odyssey. 


I  led  three  comrades,  whom  I  trusted  most 
In  all  adventures.  Entering  the  depths  560 

Of  the  great  sea,  the  goddess  brought  us  thence 
Four  skins  of  sea-calves  newly  flayed,  that  thus 
We  might  deceive  her  father.  Then  she  scooped 
Beds  for  us  in  the  sea-sand,  and  sat  down 
To  wait  his  coming.  We  were  near  to  her,  565 
And  there  she  laid  us  duly  down,  and  threw 
A  skin  o’er  each.  Now  did  our  ambush  seem 
Beyond  endurance,  for  the  noisome  smell 
Of  those  sea-nourished  creatures  sickened  us  ; 

And  who  could  bear  to  sleep  beside  a  whale  ?  57° 

But  she  bethought  her  of  an  antidote, 

A  sovereign  one,  and  so  relieved  us  all. 

To  each  she  brought  ambrosia,  placing  it 
Beneath  his  nostrils,  and  the  sweets  it  breathed 
O’ercame  the  animal  odor.  All  the  morn  575 

We  waited  patiently.  The  sea-calves  came 
From  ocean  in  a  throng,  and  laid  themselves 
In  rows  along  the  margin  of  the  sea. 

At  noon  emerged  the  aged  seer,  and  found 

His  well-fed  sea-calves.  Going  o’er  them  all  580 

He  counted  them,  ourselves  among  the  rest, 

With  no  misgiving  of  the  fraud,  and  then 

He  laid  him  down  to  rest.  We  rushed  with  shouts 

Upon  him  suddenly,  and  in  our  arms 

Caught  him  ;  nor  did  the  aged  seer  forget  535 

His  stratagems  ;  and  first  he  took  the  shape 

Of  a  maned  lion,  of  a  serpent  next, 


Book  IV 


S3 


Then  of  a  panther,  then  of  a  huge  boar, 

Then  turned  to  flowing  water,  then  became 
A  tall  tree  full  of  leaves.  With  resolute  hearts  590 
We  held  him  fast,  until  the  aged  seer 
Was  wearied  out,  in  spite  of  all  his  wiles. 

And  questioned  me  in  speech  at  last  and  said  :  — 

“  ‘  O  son  of  Atreus  !  who  of  all  the  gods 
Hath  taught  thee  how  to  take  me  in  this  snare,  59s 
Unwilling  as  I  am  ?  What  wouldst  thou  have  ?  ’ 

“  He  spake  ;  I  answered  :  ‘  Aged  prophet,  well 
Thou  knowest.  Why  deceitfully  inquire  ? 

It  is  that  I  am  held  a  prisoner  long 

Within  this  isle,  and  vainly  seek  the  means  600 

Of  my  escape,  and  grief  consumes  my  heart. 

Now  —  since  the  gods  know  all  things  —  tell  me  this, 
What  deity  it  is,  that,  hindering  thus 
My  voyage,  keeps  me  here,  and  tell  me  how 
To  cross  the  fishy  deep  and  reach  my  home.’  605 
“  Such  were  my  words,  and  he  in  answer  said  :  — 
1  But  thou  to  Jove  and  to  the  other  gods 
Shouldst  first  have  paid  acceptable  sacrifice, 

And  shouldst  have  then  embarked  to  reach  with 
speed 

Thy  native  land  across  the  dark-blue  deep.  610 

Now  it  is  not  thy  fate  to  see  again 

Thy  friends,  thy  stately  palace,  and  the  land 

That  saw  thy  birth,  until  thou  stand  once  more 

Beside  the  river  that  through  Egypt  flows 

From  Jove,  and  offer  sacred  hecatombs  615 


84 


The  Odyssey. 


To  the  ever-living  gods  inhabiting 
The  boundless  heaven,  and  they  will  speed  thee 
forth 

Upon  the  voyage  thou  dost  long  to  make.’ 

“  He  spake.  My  heart  was  broken  as  I  heard 
His  bidding  to  recross  the  shadowy  sea  620 

To  Egypt,  for  the  way  was  difficult 
And  long ;  and  yet  I  answered  him  and  said  :  — 

“  £  Duly  will  I  perform,  O  aged  seer, 

What  thou  commandest.  But  I  pray  thee  tell, 

And  truly,  whether  all  the  sons  of  Greece  625 

Whom  Nestor  and  myself,  in  setting  sail, 

Left  on  the  Trojan  coast,  have  since  returned 
Safe  with  their  galleys,  or  have  any  died 
Untimely  in  their  ships  or  in  the  arms 
Of  their  companions  since  the  war  wasclosed  ?’  630 
“  I  spake  ;  again  he  answered  me  and  said  :  — 
‘Why  dost  thou  ask,  Atrides,  since  to  know 
Thou  needest  not,  nor  is  it  well  to  explore 
The  secrets  of  my  mind  ?  Thou  canst  not,  sure, 
Refrain  from  tears  when  thou  shalt  know  the 
whole.  63? 

Many  are  dead,  and  many  left  in  Troy. 

Two  leaders  only  of  the  well-armed  Greeks 
Were  slain  returning ;  in  that  combat  thou 
Didst  bear  a  part ;  one,  living  yet,  is  kept, 

Far  in  the  mighty  main,  from  his  return.  640 

“  ‘  Amid  his  well-oared  galleys  Ajax  died. 

For  Neptune  first  had  driven  him  on  the  rocks 


Book  IV 


85 


Of  Gyrae,  yet  had  saved  him  from  the  sea ; 

And  he,  though  Pallas  hated  him,  had  yet 
Been  rescued,  but  for  uttering  boastful  words,  64s 
Which  drew  his  fate  upon  him.  He  had  said 
That  he,  in  spite  of  all  the  gods,  would  come 
Safe  from  those  mountain  waves.  When  Neptune 
heard 

The  boaster’s  challenge,  instantly  he  laid 

His  strong  hand  on  the  trident,  smote  the  rock  650 

And  cleft  it  to  the  base.  Part  stood  erect, 

Part  fell  into  the  deep.  There  Ajax  sat, 

And  felt  the  shock,  and  with  the  falling  mass 
Was  carried  headlong  to  the  billowy  depths 
Below,  and  drank  the  brine  and  perished  there.  655 
Thy  brother  in  his  roomy  ships  escaped 
The  danger,  for  imperial  Juno’s  aid 
Preserved  him.  But  when  near  Meleia’s  heights 
About  to  land,  a  tempest  seized  and  swept 
The  hero  thence  across  the  fishy  deep,  660 

Lamenting  his  hard  lot,  to  that  far  cape 
Where  once  abode  Thyestes,  and  where  now 
His  son  Higisthus  dwelt.  But  when  the  gods 
Sent  other  winds,  and  safe  at  last  appeared 
The  voyage,  they  returned,  and  reached  their 
home.  665 

With  joy  he  stepped  upon  his  native  soil, 

And  kissed  the  earth  that  bore  him,  while  his  tears 
At  that  most  welcome  sight  flowed  fast  and  warm. 
Him  from  a  lofty  perch  a  spy  beheld, 


86 


The  Odyssey. 


Whom  treacherous  ^Egisthus  planted  there,  670 
Bribed  by  two  golden  talents.  He  had  watched 
The  whole  year  through,  lest,  coining  unobserved, 
The  king  might  make  his  prowess  felt.  The  spy 
Flew  to  the  royal  palace  with  the  news, 

And  instantly  FEgisthus  planned  a  snare.  s75 

He  chose  among  the  people  twenty  men, 

The  bravest,  whom  he  stationed  out  of  sight, 

And  gave  command  that  others  should  prepare 
A  banquet.  Then  with  chariots  and  with  steeds, 
And  with  a  deadly  purpose  in  his  heart,  680 

He  went,  and,  meeting  Agamemnon,  bade 
The  shepherd  of  the  people  to  the  feast, 

And  slew  him  at  the  board  as  men  might  slay 
A  bullock  at  the  crib.  Of  all  who  went 
With  Agamemnon  thither,  none  survived,  6ss 

And  of  the  followers  of  Hilgisthus  none, 

But  all  were  slaughtered  in  the  banquet-hall/ 

“  He  spake  ;  my  heart  was  breaking,  and  I  wept, 
While  sitting  on  the  sand,  nor  in  my  heart 
Cared  I  to  live,  or  longer  to  behold  690 

The  sweet  light  of  the  sun.  But  when  there  came 
Respite  from  tears  and  writhing  on  the  ground, 

The  Ancient  of  the  Deep,  who  ne’er  deceives, 
Spake  yet  again  :  ‘  Atrides,  lose  no  time 
In  tears  ;  they  profit  nothing.  Rather  seek  6?s 
The  means  by  which  thou  mayst  the  soonest  reach 
Thy  native  land.  There  thou  perchance  mayst  find 
Higisthus  yet  alive,  or  haply  first 


Book  IV 


87 


Orestes  may  have  slain  him,  and  thyself 
Arrive  to  see  the  funeral  rites  performed/  7°° 

“  He  spake,  and  though  afflicted  still,  my  heart 
Was  somewhat  comforted  ;  my  spirit  rose, 

And  thus  I  answered  him  with  winged  words  :  — 

“  ‘  These  men  I  know  ;  name  now  the  third,  who 
still 

Is  kept  from  his  return  afar  within  705 

The  mighty  main,  —  alive,  perchance,  or  dead  ; 

For,  though  I  dread  to  hear,  I  long  to  know.’ 

“  I  spake,  and  Proteus  answered  me  again  : 

‘  It  is  Laertes’  son,  whose  dwelling  stands 
In  Ithaca.  I  saw  him  in  an  isle,  ?«> 

And  in  the  cavern-palace  of  the  nymph 
Calypso,  weeping  bitterly,  for  she 
Constrains  his  stay.  He  cannot  leave  the  isle 
For  his  own  country  ;  ship  arrayed  with  oars 
And  seamen  has  he  none  to  bear  him  o’er  715 

The  breast  of  the  great  ocean.  But  for  thee, 

’T  is  not  decreed  that  thou  shalt  meet  thy  fate 
And  die,  most  noble  Menelaus,  where 
The  steeds  of  Argos  in  her  pastures  graze. 

The  gods  will  send  thee  to  the  Elysian  plain,  720 
And  to  the  end  of  earth,  the  dwelling-place 
Of  fair-haired  Rhadamanthus.  There  do  men 
Lead  easiest  lives.  No  snow,  no  bitter  cold, 

No  beating  rains,  are  there ;  the  ocean-deeps 
With  murmuring  breezes  from  the  W est  refresh  72s 
The  dwellers.  Thither  shalt  thou  go  ;  for  thou 


8S 


The  Odyssey. 


Art  Helen’s  spouse,  and  son-in-law  of  Jove.’ 

“  He  spake,  and  plunged  into  the  billowy  deep. 

I  to  the  fleet  returned  in  company 

With  my  brave  men,  revolving,  as  I  went,  733 

A  thousand  projects  in  my  thought.  I  reached 

My  galley  by  the  sea,  and  we  prepared 

Our  evening  meal.  The  hallowed  night  came  down, 

And  there  upon  the  ocean-beach  we  slept. 

But  when  the  rosy-fingered  Morn  appeared,  733 
The  daughter  of  the  Dawn,  we  drew  our  ships 
To  the  great  deep,  and  raised  the  masts  and  spread 
The  sails ;  the  crews,  all  entering,  took  their  seats 
Upon  the  benches,  ranged  in  order  due, 

And  beat  the  foaming  water  with  their  oars.  740 
Again  to  Egypt’s  coast  I  brought  the  fleet, 

And  to  the  river  that  descends  from  Jove, 

And  there  I  offered  chosen  hecatombs  ; 

And  having  thus  appeased  the  gods,  I  reared 
A  tomb  to  Agamemnon,  that  his  fame  745 

Might  never  die.  When  this  was  done  I  sailed 
For  home ;  the  gods  bestowed  a  favoring  wind. 

But  now  remain  thou  till  the  eleventh  day, 

Or  till  the  twelfth,  beneath  my  roof,  and  then 
Will  I  dismiss  thee  with  munificent  gifts,  —  750 

Three  steeds,  a  polished  chariot,  and  a  cup 
Of  price,  with  which  to  pour,  from  day  to  day, 

Wine  to  the  gods  in  memory  of  me.” 

Then  spake  discreet  Telemachus  again  :  — 

“  Atrides,  seek  not  to  detain  me  long,  755 


Book  IV 


89 


Though  I  could  sit  contentedly  a  year 
Beside  thee,  never  longing  for  my  home, 

Nor  for  my  parents,  such  delight  I  find 
In  listening  to  thy  words  ;  but  even  now, 

In  hallowed  Pylos,  my  companions  grow  7^ 

Weary,  while  thou  delayest  my  return. 

The  gifts,  —  whate’er  thou  choosest  to  bestow,  — 
Let  them  be  such  as  I  can  treasure  up. 

The  steeds  to  Ithaca  I  may  not  take, 

I  leave  them  to  adorn  thy  retinue  ;  76s 

For  thou  art  ruler  o’er  a  realm  of  plains, 

Where  grows  much  lotos,  and  sweet  grasses  spring, 
And  wheat  and  rye,  and  the  luxuriant  stalks 
Of  the  white  barley.  But  in  Ithaca 
Are  no  broad  grounds  for  coursing,  meadows 
none.  770 

Goats  graze  amid  its  fields,  a  fairer  land 
Than  those  where  horses  feed.  No  isle  that  lies 
Within  the  deep  has  either  roads  for  steeds 
Or  meadows,  least  of  all  has  Ithaca.” 

He  spake  ;  the  valiant  Menelaus  smiled,  775 
And  kindly  touched  him  with  his  hand  and  said  :  — 

“  Dear  son,  thou  comest  of  a  generous  stock  ; 
Thy  words  declare  it.  I  will  change  my  gifts, 

As  well  I  may.  Of  all  that  in  my  house 
Are  treasured  up,  the  choicest  I  will  give, 

And  the  most  precious.  I  will  give  a  cup 
Wrought  all  of  silver  save  its  brim  of  gold. 

It  is  the  work  of  Vulcan.  Phaedimus 


go 


The  Odyssey. 


¥ 


The  hero,  King  of  Sidon,  gave  it  me, 

When  I  was  coming  home,  and  underneath  785 
His  roof  was  sheltered.  Now  it  shall  be  thine.” 

So  talked  they  with  each  other.  Meantime  came 
Those  who  prepared  the  banquet  to  the  halls 
Of  the  great  monarch.  Bringing  sheep  they  came 
And  strengthening  wine.  Their  wives,  who  on  their 
brows  790 

Wore  showy  fillets,  brought  the  bread,  and  thus 
Within  the  house  of  Menelaus  all 
Was  bustle,  setting  forth  the  evening  meal. 

But  in  the  well-paved  court  which  lay  before 
The  palace  of  Ulysses,  where  of  late  795 

Their  insolence  was  shown,  the  suitor  train 
Amused  themselves  with  casting  quoits  and  spears, 
While  by  themselves  Antinoiis,  and  the  youth 
Of  godlike  mien,  Eurymachus,  who  both 
Were  eminent  above  the  others,  sat.  800 

To  them  Noemon,  son  of  Phronius,  went, 

Drew  near,  bespake  Antinoiis  and  inquired  :  — 

“  Is  it  among  us  known,  or  is  it  not, 

Antinoiis,  when  Telemachus  returns 

From  sandy  Pylos?  Thither  he  is  gone  soS 

And  in  my  galley,  which  I  need  to  cross 

To  spacious  Elis.  There  I  have  twelve  mares 

♦ 

And  hardy  mule-colts  with  them  yet  untamed, 

And  some  I  must  subdue  to  take  the  yoke.” 

He  spake,  and  they  were  both  amazed  ;  for  they  sw 
Had  never  thought  of  him  as  visiting 


Book  IV 


9i 


Neleian  Pylos,  deeming  that  the  youth 

Was  somewhere  in  his  fields,  among  the  flocks, 

Or  haply  with  the  keeper  of  the  swine. 

Then  did  Antinoiis,  Eupeithes’  son,  8iS 

Make  answer  :  “  Tell  me  truly  when  he  sailed, 

And  what  young  men  of  Ithaca  he  chose 
To  go  with  him.  Were  they  his  slaves,  or  hired 
To  be  his  followers  ?  Tell,  for  I  would  know 
The  whole.  Took  he  thy  ship  against  thy  will?  820 
Or  didst  thou  yield  it  at  his  first  request?” 

Noemon,  son  of  Phornius,  thus  replied  :  — 

“  Most  willingly  I  gave  it,  for  what  else 
Would  any  one  have  done  when  such  a  man 
Desired  it  in  his  need  ?  It  would  have  been  825 
Hard  to  deny  it.  For  the  band  of  youths 
Who  followed  him,  they  are  the  bravest  here 
Of  all  our  people  ;  and  I  saw  embark, 

As  their  commander,  Mentor,  or  some  god 
Like  Mentor  altogether.  One  thing  moves  s3o 
My  wonder.  Only  yesterday,  at  dawn, 

I  met  with  Mentor  here,  whom  I  before 
Had  seen  embarking  for  the  Pylian  coast.” 

Noemon  spake,  and  to  his  father’s  house 
Departed.  Both  were  troubled  at  his  words,  s3S 
And  all  the  suitors  took  at  once  their  seats, 

And  ceased  their  pastimes.  Then  Antinoiis  spake, 
Son  of  Eupeithes,  greatly  vexed  ;  his  heart 
Was  darkened  with  blind  rage  ;  his  eyes  shot  fire. 

11  Strange  doings  these  !  a  great  and  proud  exploit 


92 


The  Odyssey . 


Performed,  —  this  voyage  of  Telemachus,  841 

Which  we  had  called  impossible  !  The  boy, 

In  spite  of  us,  has  had  his  will  and  gone, 

And  carried  off  a  ship,  and  for  his  crew 
Chosen  the  bravest  of  the  people  here.  845 

He  yet  will  prove  a  pest.  May  Jupiter 
Crush  him  ere  he  can  work  us  further  harm  ! 

Now  give  me  a  swift  bark  and  twenty  men 
That  I  may  lie  in  ambush  and  keep  watch 
For  his  return  within  the  straits  between  s 50 

This  isle  and  rugged  Samos  ;  then,  I  deem, 

He  will  have  sought  his  father  to  his  cost.” 

He  spake  ;  they  praised  his  words  and  bade  him 
act, 

And  rose  and  left  their  places,  entering 
The  palace  of  Ulysses.  Brief  the  time  835 

That  passed  before  Penelope  was  warned 
Of  what  the  suitors  treacherously  planned. 

The  herald  Medon  told  her  all.  He  heard 
In  the  outer  court  their  counsels  while  within 
They  plotted,  and  he  hastened  through  the  house  sso 
To  bring  the  tidings  to  Penelope. 

Penelope  perceived  him  as  he  stepped 
Across  the  threshold,  and  bespake  him  thus  :  — 

“  Why,  herald,  have  the  suitor  princes  sent 
Thee  hither  ?  comest  thou  to  bid  the  maids  ss3 
Of  great  Ulysses  leave  their  tasks  and  make 
A  banquet  ready  ?  Would  their  wooing  here 
And  elsewhere  were  but  ended,  and  this  feast 


Book  IV 


93 


Were  their  last  feast  on  earth!  Ye  who  in  throngs 
Come  hither  and  so  wastefully  consume  s7o 

The  substance  of  the  brave  Telemachus, 

Have  ye  not  from  your  parents,  while  ye  yet 
Were  children,  heard  how  once  Ulysses  lived 
Among  them,  never  wronging  any  man 
In  all  the  realm  by  aught  he  did  or  said,  — -  875 

As  mighty  princes  often  do,  through  hate 
Of  some  and  love  of  others  ?  Never  man 
Endured  injustice  at  his  hands,  but  you  — 

Your  vile  designs  and  acts  are  known  ;  ye  bear 
No  grateful  memory  of  a  good  man’s  deeds.”  sso 
And  then,  in  turn,  experienced  Medon  spake  :  — 
“  O  queen,  I  would  this  evil  were  the  worst ! 

The  suitors  meditate  a  greater  still, 

And  a  more  heinous  far.  May  Jupiter 

Never  permit  the  crime  !  Their  purpose  is  88S 

To  meet  Telemachus,  on  his  return, 

And  slay  him  with  the  sword ;  for  thou  must  know 
That  on  a  voyage  to  the  Pylian  coast 
And  noble  Lacedaemon  he  has  sailed, 

To  gather  tidings  of  his  father’s  fate.”  890 

He  spake,  and  her  knees  failed  her  and  her  heart 
Sank  as  she  heard.  Long  time  she  could  not  speak  ; 
Her  eyes  were  filled  with  tears,  and  her  clear  voice 
Was  choked  ;  yet,  finding  words  at  length,  she 
said  :  — 

“  O  herald !  wherefore  should  my  son  have 
gone  ? 


89s 


94 


The  Odyssey . 


There  was  no  need  that  he  should  trust  himself 
To  the  swift  ships,  those  horses  of  the  sea, 

With  which  men  traverse  its  unmeasured  waste. 
Was  it  that  he  might  leave  no  name  on  earth  ?  ” 
And  then  again  experienced  Medon  spake  :  —  9°o 
“  I  know  not  whether  prompted  by  some  god 
Or  moved  by  his  own  heart  thy  son  has  sailed 
For  Pylos,  hoping  there  to  hear  some  news 
Of  his  returning  father,  or  his  fate.” 

Thus  having  said,  the  herald,  traversing  905 

The  palace  of  Ulysses,  went  his  way, 

While  a  keen  anguish  overpowered  the  queen, 

Nor  could  she  longer  bear  to  keep  her  place 
Upon  her  seat,  —  and  many  seats  Were  there,  — 
But  on  the  threshold  of  her  gorgeous  rooms  910 
Lay  piteously  lamenting.  Round  her  came 
Her  maidens  wailing,  — all,  both  old  and  young, 
Who  formed  her  household.  These  Penelope, 
Sobbing  in  her  great  sorrow,  thus  bespake  :  — 

“  Hear  me,  my  friends,  the  heavens  have  cast  on 
me  915 

Griefs  heavier  than  on  any  others  born 
And  reared  with  me,  —  me,  who  had  lost  by  death 
Already  a  most  gracious  husband,  one 
Who  bore  a  lion  heart  and  who  was  graced 
With  every  virtue,  greatly  eminent  9=0 

Among  the  Greeks,  and  widely  famed  abroad 
Through  Hellas  and  all  Argos.  Now  my  son, 

He  whom  I  loved,  is  driven  before  the  storms 


Book  IV 


95 


From  home,  inglorious,  and  I  was  not  told 
Of  his  departure.  Ye  too,  worthless  crew  ! 

Ye  took  no  thought,  not  one  of  you,  to  call 
Me  from  my  sleep,  although  ye  must  have  known 
Full  well  when  he  embarked  in  his  black  ship. 
And  if  it  had  been  told  me  that  he  planned 
This  voyage,  then,  impatient  as  he  was 
To  sail,  he  would  have  certainly  remained, 

Or  else  have  left  me  in  these  halls  a  corpse. 

And  now  let  one  of  my  attendants  call 

The  aged  Dolius,  whom,  when  first  I  came 

To  this  abode,  my  father  gave  to  me 

To  be  my  servant,  and  who  has  in  charge 

My  orchards.  Let  him  haste  and  take  his  place 

Beside  Laertes,  and  to  him  declare 

All  that  has  happened,  that  he  may  devise 

Some  fitting  remedy,  or  go  among 

The  people,  to  deplore  the  dark  designs 

Of  those  who  now  are  plotting  to  destroy 

The  heir  of  great  Ulysses  and  his  own.” 

Then  Eurycleia,  the  beloved  nurse, 

Answered  :  “  Dear  lady,  slay  me  with  the  sword, 
Or  leave  me  here  alive ;  I  wall  conceal 
Nothing  that  has  been  done  or  said.  I  gave 
All  that  he  asked,  both  bread  and  delicate  wane, 
And  took  a  solemn  oath,  which  he  required, 

To  tell  thee  naught  of  this  till  twelve  days  passed, 
Or  till  thou  shouldst  thyself  inquire  and  hear 
Of  his  departure,  that  those  lovely  cheeks 


925 

930 

935 

940 

945 

950 


96 


The  Odyssey. 


Might  not  be  stained  with  tears.  Now  bathe  and  put 
Fresh  garments  on,  and  to  the  upper  rooms 
Ascending,  with  thy  handmaids  offer  prayer  955 
To  Pallas,  daughter  of  the  god  who  bears 
The  aegis.  She  will  then  protect  thy  son, 

Even  from  death.  Grieve  not  the  aged  man, 

Already  much  afflicted.  Sure  I  am 

The  lineage  of  Arcesius  has  not  lost  960 

The  favor  of  the  gods,  but  some  one  yet 

Surviving  will  possess  its  lofty  halls 

And  its  rich  acres,  stretching  far  away.” 

She  spake;  the  queen  repressed  her  grief,  and  held 
Her  eyes  from  tears.  She  took  the  bath  and  put  96s 
Fresh  garments  on,  and,  to  the  upper  rooms 
Ascending  with  her  maidens,  heaped  with  cakes 
A  canister,  and  prayed  to  Pallas  thus  :  — 

“  Daughter  invincible  of  Jupiter 
The  yEgis-bearer,  hear  me.  If  within  97° 

Thy  courts  the  wise  Ulysses  ever  burned 
Fat  thighs  of  beeves  or  sheep,  remember  it, 

And  rescue  my  dear  son,  and  bring  to  naught 
The  wicked  plots  of  the  proud  suitor-crew.” 

She  spake,  and  wept  aloud.  The  goddess  heard  97s 
Her  prayer.  Meantime  the  suitors  filled  with  noise 
The  shadowy  palace-halls,  and  there  were  some 
Among  that  throng  of  arrogant  youths  who  said  :  — 

“  Truly  the  queen,  whom  we  have  wooed  so  long, 
Prepares  for  marriage  ;  little  does  she  know  980 
The  bloody  death  we  destine  for  her  son.” 


Book  IV. 


97 


So  sp'ake  they,  unaware  of  what  was  done 
Elsewhere.  Antinoiis  then  stood  forth  and  said  :  — 
“  Good  friends,  I  warn  you  all  that  ye  refrain 
From  boasts  like  these,  lest  some  one  should  re¬ 
port  985 

Your  words  within.  Now  let  us  silently 
Rise  up,  and  all  conspire  to  put  in  act 
The  counsel  all  so  heartily  approve.” 

He  spake,  and  chose  a  crew  of  twenty  men, 

The  bravest.  To  the  seaside  and  the  ship  990 
They  went,  and  down  to  the  deep  water  drew 
The  ship,  and  put  the  mast  and  sails  on  board, 
And  fitted  duly  to  their  leathern  rings 
The  oars,  and  spread  the  white  sail  overhead. 

Their  nimble-handed  servants  brought  them  arms,  995 
And  there  they  moored  the  galley,  went  oil  board, 
And  supped  and  waited  for  the  evening  star. 

Now  in  the  upper  chamber  the  chaste  queen, 
Penelope,  lay  fasting  ;  food  or  wine 
She  had  not  tasted,  and  her  thoughts  were  still  1000 
Fixed  on  her  blameless  son.  Would  he  escape 
The  threatened  death,  or  perish  by  the  hands 
Of  the  insolent  suitors  ?  As  a  lion’s  thoughts, 
When,  midst  a  crowd  of  men,  he  sees  with  dread 
The  hostile  circle  slowly  closing  round,  1005 

Such  were  her  thoughts,  when  balmy  sleep  at  length 
Came  creeping  over  her  as  on  her  couch 
She  lay  reclined,  her  limbs  relaxed  in  rest. 

Now  Pallas  framed  a  new  device ;  she  called 
vol.  1.  5  g 


98 


The  Odyssey. 


A  phantom  up,  in  aspect  like  the  dame  ioxo 

Iphthima,  whom  Eumelus  had  espoused 
In  Pherse,  daughter  of  the  high-souled  chief 
Icarius.  Her  she  sent  into  the  halls 
Of  great  Ulysses,  that  she  might  beguile 
The  sorrowful  Penelope  from  tears  »is 

And  lamentations.  By  the  thong  that  held 
The  bolt  she  slid  into  the  royal  bower 
And  standing  by  her  head  bespake  the  queen  :  — 

“  Penelope,  afflicted  as  thou  art, 

Art  thou  asleep  ?  The  ever-blessed  gods  1020 

Permit  thee  not  to  grieve  and  weep ;  thy  son, 

Who  has  not  sinned  against  them,  shall  return.” 

And  then  discreet  Penelope  replied, 

Still  sweetly  slumbering  at  the  Gate  of  Dreams  :  — 
“  Why,  sister,  art  thou  here,  who  ne’er  before  1025 
Hast  come  to  me  ?  The  home  is  far  away 
In  which  thou  dwellest.  Thou  exhortest  me 
To  cease  from  grieving,  and  to  lay  aside 
The  painful  thoughts  that  crowd  into  my  mind, 

And  torture  me  who  have  already  lost  xo3o 

A  noble-minded,  lion-hearted  spouse, 

One  eminent  among  Achaia’s  sons 
For  every  virtue,  and  whose  fame  was  spread 
Through  Hellas  and  through  Argos.  Now  my  son, 
My  best  beloved,  goes  to  sea,  —  a  boy,  io35 

Unused  to  hardships,  and  unskilled  to  deal 
With  strangers.  More  I  sorrow  for  his  sake 
Than  for  his  father’s.  I  am  filled  with  fear, 


Book  IV. 


99 


And  tremble  lest  he  suffer  wrong  from  those 
Among  whom  he  has  gone,  or  on  the  deep,  1040 
Where  he  has  enemies  who  lie  in  wait 
To  slay  him  ere  he  reach  his  home  again.” 

And  then  the  shadowy  image  spake  again  :  — 

“  Be  of  good  courage  ;  let  not  fear  o’ercome 
Thy  spirit,  for  there  goes  with  him  a  guide  104s 
Such  as  all  others  would  desire  to  have 
Beside  them  ever,  trusting  in  her  power,  — 

Pallas  Athene,  and  she  looks  on  thee 
With  pity.  From  her  presence  I  am  sent, 

Her  messenger,  declaring  this  to  thee  1050 

Again  discreet  Penelope  replied  :  — 

“  If  then  thou  be  a  goddess  and  hast  heard 
A  goddess  speak  these  words,  declare,  I  pray, 

Of  that  ill-fated  one,  if  yet  he  live 

And  look  upon  the  sun,  or  else  have  died  105s 

And  passed  to  the  abodes  beneath  the  earth.” 

Once  more  the  shadowy  image  spake  :  “  Of  him 
Will  I  say  nothing,  whether  living  yet 
Or  dead ;  no  time  is  this  for  idle  words.” 

She  said,  and  from  the  chamber  glided  forth  1060 
Beside  the  bolt,  and  mingled  with  the  winds. 

Then  quickly  from  her  couch  of  sleep  arose 
The  daughter  of  Icarius,  for  her  heart 
Was  glad,  so  plainly  had  the  dream  conveyed 
Its  message  in  the  stillness  of  the  night.  *065 

Meanwhile  the  suitors  on  their  ocean-path 
Went  in  their  galley,  plotting  cruelly 


IOO 


The  Odyssey. 


To  slay  Telernachus.  A  rocky  isle 

Far  in  the  middle  sea,  between  the  coast 

Of  Ithaca  and  craggy  Samos,  lies,  k>7o 

Named  Asteris  ;  of  narrow  bounds,  yet  there 

A  sheltered  haven  is  to  which  two  straits 

Give  entrance.  There  the  Achaians  lay  in  wait. 


BOOK  V. 

AURORA,  rising  from  her  couch  beside 

The  famed  Tithonus,  brought  the  light  of  day 
To  men  and  to  immortals.  Then  the  gods' 

Came  to  their  seats  in  council.  With  them  came 
High-thundering  Jupiter,  amongst  them  all  5 

The  mightiest.  Pallas,  mindful  of  the  past, 

Spake  of  Ulysses  and  his  many  woes, 

Grieved  that  he  still  was  with  the  island  nymph  :  — 
“  O  father  Jove,  and  all  ye  blessed  ones 
Who  live  forever  !  let  not  sceptred  king  10 

Henceforth  be  gracious,  mild,  and  merciful 
And  righteous  ;  rather  be  he  deaf  to  prayer 
And  prone  to  deeds  of  wrong,  since  no  one  now 
Remembers  the  divine  Ulysses  more 
Among  the  people  over  whom  he  ruled  is 

Benignly,  like  a  father.  Still  he  lies, 

Weighed  down  by  many  sorrows,  in  the  isle 
And  dwelling  of  Calypso,  who  so  long 


Book  V. 


IOI 


Constrains  his  stay.  To  his  dear  native  land 

Depart  he  cannot ;  ship  arrayed  with  oars  20 

And  seamen  has  he  none,  to  bear  him  o’er 

The  breast  of  the  broad  ocean.  Nay,  even  now, 

Against  his  well-beloved  son  a  plot 

Is  laid,  to  slay  him  as  he  journeys  home 

From  Pylos  the  divine,  and  from  the  walls  ^ 

Of  famous  Sparta,  whither  he  had  gone 

To  gather  tidings  of  his  father’s  fate.” 

Then  answered  her  the  Ruler  of  the  storms  :  — 

“  My  child,  what  words  are  these  that  pass  thy  lips  ? 
Was  not  thy  long-determined  counsel  this,  —  30 

That  in  good  time  Ulysses  should  return, 

To  be  avenged  ?  Guide,  then,  Telemachus 
Wisely,  — for  so  thou  canst,  —  that,  all  unharmed, 
He  reach  his  native  land,  and,  in  their  barks, 
Homeward  the  suitor-train  retrace  their  way.”  33 

He  spake,  and  turned  to  Hermes,  his  dear  son  :  — 
“  Hermes,  —  for  thou  in  this  my  messenger 
Art,  as  in  all  things,  —  to  the  bright-haired  nymph 
Make  known  my  steadfast  purpose,  — the  return 
Of  suffering  Ulysses.  Neither  gods  40 

Nor  men  shall  guide  his  voyage.  On  a  raft, 

Made  firm  with  bands,  he  shall  depart  and  reach, 
After  long ’hardships,  on  the  twentieth  day, 

The  fertile  shore  of  Scheria,  on  whose  isle 
Dwell  the  Phaeacians,  kinsmen  of  the  gods.  45 

They  like  a  god  shall  honor  him,  and  thence 
Send  him  to  his  loved  country  in  a  ship, 


102 


The  Odyssey. 


With  ample  gifts  of  brass  and  gold,  and  store 
Of  raiment, — wealth  like  which  he  ne’er  had  brought 
From  conquered  Ilion,  had  he  reached  his  home  50 
Safely,  with  all  his  portion  of  the  spoil. 

So  is  it  preordained  that  he  behold 

His  friends  again,  and  stand  once  more  within 

His  high-roofed  palace,  on  his  native  soil.” 

He  spake ;  the  herald  Argicide  obeyed,  55 

And  hastily  beneath  his  feet  he  bound 
The  fair,  ambrosial  golden  sandals,  worn 
To  bear  him  over  ocean  like  the  wind, 

And  o’er  the  boundless  land.  His  wand  he  took, 
Wherewith  he  softly  seals  the  eyes  of  men,  60 

And  opens  them  at  will  from  sleep.  With  this 
In  hand,  the  mighty  Argus-queller  flew, 

And,  lighting  on  Pieria,  from  the  sky 
Plunged  downward  to  the  deep,  and  skimmed  its  face 
Like  hovering  seamew,  that  on  the  broad  gulfs  65 
Of  the  unfruitful  ocean  seeks  her  prey, 

And  often  dips  her  pinions  in  the  brine ; 

So  Hermes  flew  along  the  waste  of  waves. 

But  when  he  reached  that  island,  far  away, 

Forth  from  the  dark-blue  ocean-swell  he  stepped  70 
Upon  the  sea-beach,  walking  till  he  came 
To  the  vast  cave  in  which  the  bright-haired  nymph 
Made  her  abode.  He  found  the  nymph  within ; 

A  fire  blazed  brightly  on  the  hearth,  and  far 
Was  wafted  o’er  the  isle  the  fragrant  smoke  75 
Of  cloven  cedar,  burning  in  the  flame, 


Book  V 


103 


And  cypress-wood.  Meanwhile,  in  her  recess, 

She  sweetly  sang,  as  busily  she  threw 

The  golden  shuttle  through  the  web  she  wove. 

And  all  about  the  grotto  alders  gre,  so 

And  poplars,  and  sweet-smelling  cypresses. 

In  a  green  forest,  high  among  whose  boughs 
Birds  of  broad  wing,  wood-owls,  and  falcons  built 
Their  nests,  and  crows,  with  voices  sounding  far, 
All  haunting  for  their  food  -the  ocean-side.  s5 

A  vine,  with  downy  leaves  and  clustering  grapes, 
Crept  over  all  the  cavern  rock.  Four  springs 
Poured  forth  their  glittering  waters  in  a  row, 

And  here  and  there  went  wandering  side  by  side. 
Around  were  meadows  of  soft  green,  o’ergrown  9° 
With  violets  and  parsley.  ’T  was  a  spot 
Where  even  an  immortal  might  awhile 
Linger,  and  gaze  with  wonder  and  delight. 

The  herald  Argus-queller  stood,  and  saw, 

And  marvelled  j  but  as  soon  as  he  had  viewed  95 
The  wonders  of  the  place,  he  turned  his  steps, 
Entering  the  broad-roofed  cave.  Calypso  there, 
The  glorious  goddess,  saw  him  as  he  came, 

And  knew  him  ;  for  the  ever-living  gods 

Are  to  each  other  known,  though  one  may  dwell  100 

Far  from  the  rest.  Ulysses,  large  of  heart, 

Was  not  within.  Apart,  upon  the  shore, 

He  sat  and  sorrowed,  where  he  oft  in  tears 
And  sighs  and  vain  repinings  passed  the  hours, 
Gazing  with  wet  eyes  on  the  barren  deep.  *°s 


104 


The  Odyssey. 


Now,  placing  Hermes  on  a  shining  seat 
Of  state,  Calypso,  glorious  goddess,  said  : 

“  Thou  of  the  golden  wand,  revered  and  loved. 
What,  Hermes,  brings  thee  hither  ?  Passing  few 
Have  been  thy  visits.  Make  thy  pleasure  known,  no 
My  heart  enjoins  me  to  obey,  if  aught 
That  thou  commandest  be  within  my  power ; 

But  first  accept  the  offerings  due  a  guest.” 

The  goddess,  speaking  thus,  before  him  placed 
A  table,  where  the  heaped  ambrosia  lay,  ns 

And  mingled  the  red  nectar.  Ate  and  drank 
The  herald  Argus-queller,  and,  refreshed, 

Answered  the  nymph,  and  made  his  message 
known  :  — 

w  Art  thou  a  goddess,  and  dost  ask  of  me, 

A  god,  why  came  I  hither?  Yet,  since  thou  120 
Requirest,  I  will  truly  tell  the  cause. 

I  came  unwillingly,  at  Jove’s  command; 

For  who  of  choice  would  traverse  the  wide  waste 
Of  the  salt  ocean,  with  no  city  near 
Where  men  adore  the  gods  with  solemn  rites 
And  chosen  hecatombs.  No  god  has  power 
To  elude  or  to  resist  the  purposes 
Of  aegis-bearing  Jove.  With  thee  abides, 

He  bids  me  say,  the  most  unhappy  man 
Of  all  who  round  the  city  of  Priam  waged  130 

The  battle  through  nine  years,  and,  in  the  tenth, 
Laying  it  waste,  departed  for  their  homes. 

But  in  their  voyage  they  provoked  the  wrath 


Book  V. 


105 


Of  Pallas,  who  called  up  the  furious  winds 
And  angry  waves  against  them.  By  his  side  135 
Sank  all  his  gallant  comrades  in  the  deep. 

Him  did  the  winds  and  waves  drive  hither.  Him 
Jove  bids  thee  send  away  with  speed;  for  here 
He  must  not  perish,  far  from  all  he  loves. 

So  is  it  preordained  that  he  behold  *40 

His  friends  again,  and  stand  once  more  within 
His  high-roofed  palace,  on  his  native  soil/' 

He  spake ;  Calypso,  glorious  goddess,  heard, 
And  shuddered,  and  with  winged  words  replied  :  — 
“  Ye  are  unjust,  ye  gods,  and,  envious  far  145 
Beyond  all  other  beings,  cannot  bear 
That  ever  goddess  openly  should  make 
A  mortal  man  her  consort.  Thus  it  was 
When  once  Aurora,  rosy-fingered,  took 
Orion  for  her  husband  ;  ye  were  stung,  w 

Amid  your  blissful  lives,  with  envious  hate. 

Till  chaste  Diana,  of  the  golden  throne, 

Smote  him  with  silent  arrows  from  her  bow, 

And  slew  him  in  Ortygia.  Thus,  again, 

When  bright-haired  Ceres,  swayed  by  her  own  heart, 
In  fields  which  bore  three  yearly  harvests,  met  156 
Iasion  as  a  lover,  this  was  known 
Erelong  to  Jupiter,  who  flung  from  high 
A  flaming  thunderbolt,  and  laid  him  dead. 

And  now  ye  envy  me,  that  with  me  dwells  160 

A  mortal  man.  I  saved  him  as  he  clung 
Alone  upon  his  floating  keel ;  for  Jove 
5* 


106  The  Odyssey. 

Had  cloven  with  a  bolt  of  fire  from  heaven 
His  galley  in  the  midst  of  the  black  sea, 

And  all  his  gallant  comrades  perished  there.  165 
Him  kindly  I  received ;  I  cherished  him, 

And  promised  him  a  life  that  ne’er  should  know 
Decay  or  death.  But  since  no  god  has  power 
To  elude  or  to  withstand  the  purposes 
Of  aegis-bearing  Jove,  let  him  depart —  170 

If  so  the  sovereign  moves  him  and  commands  — 
Over  the  barren  deep.  I  send  him  not ; 

For  neither  ship  arrayed  with  oars  have  I, 

Nor  seamen,  o’er  the  boundless  waste  of  waves 
To  bear  him  hence.  My  counsel  I  will  give,  175 
And  nothing  will  I  hide  that  he  should  know, 

To  place  him  safely  on  his  native  shore.” 

The  herald  Argus-queller  answered  her  :  — 
u  Dismiss  him  thus,  and  bear  in  mind  the  wrath 
Of  Jove,  lest  it  be  kindled  against  thee.” 

Thus  having  said,  the  mighty  Argicide 
Departed  ;  and  the  nymph,  who  now  had  heard 
The  doom  of  Jove,  sought  the  great-hearted  man, 
Ulysses.  Him  she  found  beside  the  deep, 

Seated  alone,  with  eyes  from  which  the  tears  185 
*  Were  never  dried  ;  for  now  no  more  the  nymph 
Delighted  him ;  he  wasted  his  sweet  life 
In  yearning  for  his  home.  Night  after  night 
He  slept  constrained  within  the  hollow  cave, 

The  unwilling  by  the  fond  ;  and  day  by  day  19° 
He  sat  upon  the  rocks  that  edged  the  shore, 


Book  V 


107 


And  in  continual  weeping  and  in  sighs 
And  vain  repinings  wore  the  hours  away, 

Gazing  through  tears  upon  the  barren  deep. 

The  glorious  goddess  stood  by  him  and  spake  : —  19s 
“  Unhappy!  sit  no  longer  sorrowing  here, 

Nor  waste  life  thus.  Lo  !  I  most  willingly 
Dismiss  thee  hence.  Rise,  hew  down  trees,  and  bind 
Their  trunks  with  brazen  clamps  into  a  raft, 

And  fasten  planks  above,  a  lofty  floor,  200 

That  it  may  bear  thee  o’er  the  dark-blue  deep. 
Bread  will  I  put  on  board,  water,  and  wine,  — 

Red  wine,  that  cheers  the  heart,  —  and  wrap  thee 
'  well 

In  garments,  and  send  after  thee  the  wind, 

That  safely  thou  attain  thy  native  shore,  205 

If  so  the  gods  permit  thee,  who  abide 
In  the  broad  heaven  above,  and  better  know 
By  far  than  I,  and  far  more  wisely  judge.” 

Ulysses,  the  great  sufferer,  as  she  spake 
Shuddered,  and  thus  with  winged  words  re¬ 
plied  : —  210 

“  Some  other  purpose  than  to  send  me  home 
Is  in  thy  heart,  O  goddess,  bidding  me 
To  cross  this  frightful  sea  upon  a  raft,  — 

This  perilous  sea,  where  never  even  ships 
Pass  with  their  rapid  keels,  though  Jove  bestow  215 
The  wind  that  glads  the  seaman.  Nay,  I  climb 
No  raft,  against  thy  wish,  unless  thou  swear 
The  great  oath  of  the  gods  that  thou  in  this 


io8 


The  Odyssey. 


Dost  meditate  no  other  harm  to  me.” 

He  spake ;  Calypso,  glorious  goddess,  smiled,  ® 
And  smoothed  his  forehead  with  her  hand,  and 
said  :  — 

“  Perverse,  and  slow  to  see  where  guile  is  not ! 
How  could  thy  heart  permit  thee  thus  to  speak  ? 
Now  bear  me  witness,  Earth,  and  ye  broad  Heavens 
Above  us,  and  ye  waters  of  the  Styx  22s 

That  flow  beneath  us,  mightiest  oath  of  all, 

And  most  revered  by  all  the  blessed  gods, 

That  I  design  no  other  harm  to  thee. 

But  that  I  plan  for  thee,  and  counsel  thee 
What  I  would  do  were  I  in  need  like  thine.  230 
I  bear  a  juster  mind  ;  my  bosom  holds 
A  pitying  heart,  and  not  a  heart  of  steel.” 

Thus  having  said,  the  glorious  goddess  moved 
Away  with  hasty  steps,  and  where  she  trod 
He  followed,  till  they  reached  the  vaulted  cave, —  235 
The  goddess  and  the  hero.  There  he  took 
The  seat  whence  Hermes  had  just  risen.  The 
nymph 

Brought  forth  whatever  mortals  eat  and  drink 
To  set  before  him.  She  right  opposite 
To  that  of  great  Ulysses  took  her  seat.  240 

Ambrosia  there  her  maidens  laid,  and  there 
Poured  nectar.  Both  put  forth  their  hands,  and  took 
The  ready  viands,  till  at  length  the  calls 
Of  hunger  and  of  thirst  were  satisfied ; 

Calypso,  glorious  goddess,  then  began  :  —  245 


Book  V. 


109 


“  Son  of  Laertes,  man  of  many  wiles, 

High-born  Ulysses !  thus  wilt  thou  depart 
Home  to  thy  native  country  ?  Then  farewell ; 

But,  couldst  thou  know  the  sufferings  Fate  ordains 
For  thee  ere  yet  thou  landest  on  its  shore,  250 

Thou  wouldst  remain  to  keep  this  home  with  me 
And  be  immortal,  strong  as  is  thy  wish 
To  see  thy  wife,  —  a  wish  that  day  by  day 
Possesses  thee.  I  cannot  deem  myself 
In  face  or  form  less  beautiful  than  she ;  255 

For  never  with  immortals  can  the  race 
Of  mortal  dames  in  form  or  face  compare.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  her  :  — 

“  Bear  with  me,  gracious  goddess ;  well  I  know 
All  thou  couldst  say.  The  sage  Penelope  260 

In  feature  and  in  stature  comes  not  nigh 
To  thee,  for  she  is  mortal,  —  deathless  thou, 

And  ever  young ;  yet  day  by  day  I  long 

To  be  at  home  once  more,  and  pine  to  see 

The  hour  of  my  return.  Even  though  some  god  265 

Smite  me  on  the  black  ocean,  I  shall  bear 

The  stroke,  for  in  my  bosom  dwells  a  mind 

Patient  of  suffering  ;  much  have  I  endured, 

And  much  survived,  in  tempests  on  the  deep, 

And  in  the  battle  ;  let  this  happen  too.”  270 

He  spake ;  the  sun  went  down  ;  the  night  came 
on  ; 

And  now  the  twain  withdrew  to  a  recess 
Deep  in  the  vaulted  cave,  where,  side  by  side, 


no 


The  Odyssey. 


They  took  their  rest.  But  when  the  child  of  Dawn, 
Aurora,  rosy-fingered,  looked  abroad,  275 

Ulysses  put  his  vest  and  mantle  on  ; 

The  nymph  too,  in  a  robe  of  silver-white, 

Ample,  and  delicate,  and  beautiful, 

Arrayed  herself,  and  round  about  her  loins 
Wound  a  fair  golden  girdle,  drew  a  veil  =8o 

Over  her  head,  and  planned  to  send  away 
Magnanimous  Ulysses.  She  bestowed 
A  heavy  axe,  of  steel  and  double-edged, 

Well  fitted  to  the  hand,  the  handle  wrought 
Of  olive-wood,  firm  set  and  beautiful.  285 

A  polished  adze  she  gave  him  next,  and  led 
The  way  to  a  far  corner  of  the  isle, 

Where  lofty  trees,  alders  and  poplars,  stood, 

And  firs  that  reached  the  clouds,  sapless  and  dry 
Long  since,  and  fitter  thus  to  ride  the  waves.  290 
Then,  having  shown  where  grew  the  tallest  trees, 
Calypso,  glorious  goddess,  sought  her  home. 

Trees  then  he  felled,  and  soon  the  task  was  done. 
Twenty  in  all  he  brought  to  earth,  and  squared 
Their  trunks  with  the  sharp  steel,  and  carefully  29S 
He  smoothed  their  sides,  and  wrought  them  by  a  line. 
Calypso,  gracious  goddess,  having  brought 
Wimbles,  he  bored  the  beams,  and,  fitting  them 
Together,  made  them  fast  with  nails  and  clamps. 
As  when  some  builder,  skilful  in  his  art,  300 

Frames  for  a  ship  of  burden  the  broad  keel, 

Such  ample  breadth  Ulysses  gave  the  raft. 


Book  V 


hi 


Upon  the  massy  beams  he  reared  a  deck, 

And  floored  it  with  long  planks  from  end  to  end. 
On  this  a  mast  he  raised,  and  to  the  mast  305 

Fitted  a  yard  ;  he  shaped  a  rudder  next, 

To  guide  the  raft  along  her  course,  and  round 
With  woven  work  of  willow-boughs  he  fenced 
Her  sides  against  the  dashings  of  the  sea. 

Calypso,  gracious  goddess,  brought  him  store  310 
Of  canvas,  which  he  fitly  shaped  to  sails, 

And,  rigging  her  with  cords  and  ropes  and  stays, 
Heaved  her  with  levers  into  the  great  deep. 

*T  was  the  fourth  day.  His  labors  now  were  done, 
And  on  the  fifth  the  goddess  from  her  isle  313 

Dismissed  him,  newly  from  the  bath,  arrayed 
In  garments  given  by  her,  that  shed  perfumes. 

A  skin  of  dark  red  wine  she  put  on  board, 

A  larger  one  of  water,  and  for  food 
A  basket,  stored  with  viands  such  as  please  320 
The  appetite.  A  friendly  wind  and  soft 
She  sent  before.  The  great  Ulysses  spread 
His  canvas  joyfully  to  catch  the  breeze, 

And  sat  and  guided  with  nice  care  the  helm, 
Gazing  with  fixed  eye  on  the  Pleiades,  325 

Bootes  setting  late,  and  the  Great  Bear, 

By  others  called  the  Wain,  which,  wheeling  round, 
Looks  ever  toward  Orion,  and  alone 
Dips  not  into  the  waters  of  the  deep. 

For  so  Calypso,  glorious  goddess,  bade  330 

That  on  his  ocean  journey  he  should  keep 


1 1 2 


The  Odyssey. 


That  constellation  ever  on  his  left. 

Now  seventeen  days  were  in  the  voyage  past, 

And  on  the  eighteenth  shadowy  heights  appeared, 
The  nearest  point  of  the  Phseacian  land,  33s 

Lying  on  the  dark  ocean  like  a  shield. 

But  mighty  Neptune,  coming  from  among 
The  Ethiopians,  saw  him.  Far  away 
He  saw,  from  mountain-heights  of  Solyma, 

The  voyager,  and  burned  with  fiercer  wrath,  340 
And  shook  his  head,  and  said  within  himself :  — 

“  Strange  !  now  I  see  the  gods  have  new  designs 
For  this  Ulysses,  formed  while  I  was  yet 
In  Ethiopia.  He  draws  near  the  land 
Of  the  Phaeacians,  where  it  is  decreed  34s 

He  shall  o’erpass  the  boundary  of  his  woes ; 

But  first,  I  think,  he  will  have  much  to  bear.” 

He  spake,  and  round  about  him  called  the  clouds 
And  roused  the  ocean,  —  wielding  in  his  hand 
The  trident,  —  summoned  all  the  hurricanes  350 
Of  all  the  winds,  and  covered  earth  and  sky 
At  once  with  mists,  while  from  above  the  night 
Fell  suddenly.  The  east  wind  and  the  south 
Pushed  forth  at  once,  with  the  strong-blowing  west, 
And  the  clear  north  rolled  up  his  mighty  waves.  355 
Ulysses  trembled  in  his  knees  and  heart, 

And  thus  to  his  great  soul,  lamenting,  said  :  — 

“What  will  become  of  me?  unhappy  man  ! 

I  fear  that  all  the  goddess  said  was  true, 

Foretelling  what  disasters  should  o’ertake  360 


Book  V 


1 13 


My  voyage  ere  I  reach  my  native  land. 

Now  are  her  words  fulfilled.  How  Jupiter 
Wraps  the  great  heaven  in  clouds  and  stirs  the  deep 
To  tumult !  Wilder  grow  the  hurricanes 
Of  all  the  winds,  and  now  my  fate  is  sure.  365 

Thrice  happy,  four  times  happy,  they  who  fell 
On  Troy’s  wide  field,  warring  for  Atreus’  sons  : 

O,  had  I  met  my  fate  and  perished  there, 

That  very  day  on  which  the  Trojan  host, 

Around  the  dead  Achilles,  hurled  at  me  370 

Their  brazen  javelins,  I  had  then  received 
Due  burial,  and  great  glory  with  the  Greeks  ; 

Now  must  I  die  a  miserable  death.” 

As  thus  he  spake,  upon  him,  from  on  high, 

A  huge  and  frightful  billow  broke  ;  it  whirled  37s 
The  raft  around,  and  far  from  it  he  fell. 

His  hands  let  go  the  rudder  ;  a  fierce  rush 
Of  all  the  winds  together  snapped  in  twain 
The  mast ;  far  off  the  yard  and  canvas  flew 
Into  the  deep  ;  the  billow  held  him  long  380 

Beneath  the  waters,  and  he  strove  in  vain 
Quickly  to  rise  to  air  from  that  huge  swell 
Of  ocean,  for  the  garments  weighed  him  down 
Which  fair  Calypso  gave  him.  But  at  length 
Emerging,  he  rejected  from  his  throat  385 

The  bitter  brine  that  down  his  forehead  streamed. 
Even  then,  though  hopeless  with  dismay,  his  thought 
Was  on  the  raft ;  and,  struggling  through  the  waves, 
He  seized  it,  sprang  on  board,  and,  seated  there, 


The  Odyssey. 


1 14 

Escaped  the  threatened  death.  Still  to  and  fro  390 
The  rolling  billows  drave  it.  As  the  wind 
In  autumn  sweeps  the  thistles  o’er  the  field, 
Clinging  together,  so  the  blasts  of  heaven 
Hither  and  thither  drove  it  o’er  the  sea. 

And  now  the  south  wind  flung  it  to  the  north  39s 
To  buffet ;  now  the  east  wind  to  the  west. 

Ino  Leucothea  saw  him  clinging  there,  — - 
The  delicate-footed  child  of  Cadmus,  once 
A  mortal,  speaking  with  a  mortal  voice, 

Though  now  within  the  ocean  gulfs  she  shares  400 
The  honors  of  the  gods.  With  pity  she 
Beheld  Ulysses  struggling  thus  distressed, 

And,  rising  from  the  abyss  below,  in  form 
A  cormorant,  the  sea-nymph  took  her  perch 
On  the  well-banded  raft,  and  thus  she  said  :  —  403 

“  Ah,  luckless  man  !  how  hast  thou  angered  thus 
Earth-shaking  Neptune,  that  he  visits  thee 
With  these  disasters  ?  Yet  he  cannot  take, 
Although  he  seek  it  earnestly,  thy  life. 

Now  do  my  bidding,  for  thou  seemest  wise.  410 
Laying  aside  thy  garments,  let  the  raft 
Drift  with  the  winds,  while  thou,  by  strength  of  arm, 
Makest  thy  way  in  swimming  to  the  land 
Of  the  Phaeacians,  where  thy  safety  lies. 

Receive  this  veil,  and  bind  its  heavenly  woof  415 
Beneath  thy  breast,  and  have  no  further  fear 
Of  hardship  or  of  danger.  But,  as  soon 
As  thou  shalt  touch  the  island,  take  it  off, 


Book  V 


n  5 

And  turn  away  thy  face,  and  fling  it  far 
From  where  thou  standest  into  the  black  deep.’’  430 
The  goddess  gave  the  veil  as  thus  she  spoke, 
And  to  the  tossing  deep  went  down,  in  form 
A  cormorant ;  the  black  wave  covered  her. 

But  still  Ulysses,  mighty  sufferer, 

Pondered,  and  thus  to  his  great  soul  he  said  : —  425 
“  Ah  me  !  perhaps  some  god  is  planning  here 
Some  other  fraud  against  me,  bidding  me 
Forsake  my  raft.  I  will  not  yet  obey, 

For  still  far  off  I  see  the  land  in  which 
*T  is  said  my  refuge  lies.  This  will  I  do,  43° 

For  this  seems  wisest.  While  the  fastenings  last 
That  hold  these  timbers,  I  will  keep  my  place 
And  bide  the  tempest  here ;  but  when  the  waves 
Shall  dash  my  raft  in  pieces,  I  will  swim, 

For  nothing  better  will  remain  to  do.”  435 

As  he  revolved  this  purpose  in  his  mind, 
Earth-shaking  Neptune  sent  a  mighty  wave, 

Horrid  and  huge  and  high,  and  where  he  sat 
It  smote  him.  As  a  violent  wind  uplifts 
The  dry  chaff  heaped  upon  a  threshing-floor,  440 
And  sends  it  scattered  through  the  air  abroad, 

So  did  that  wave  fling  loose  the  ponderous  beams. 
To  one  of  these,  Ulysses,  clinging  fast, 

Bestrode  it,  like  a  horseman  on  his  steed  ; 

And  now  he  took  the  garments  off,  bestowed  445 
By  fair  Calypso,  binding  round  his  breast 
The  veil,  and  forward  plunged  into  the  deep, 


1 1 6  The  Odyssey. 

With  palms  outspread,  prepared  to  swim.  Mean¬ 
while 

Neptune  beheld  him,  —  Neptune,  mighty  king,  — 
And  shook  his  head,  and  said  within  himself:  —  450 
“  Go  thus,  and  laden  with  mischances  roam 
The  waters  till  thou  come  among  the  race 
Cherished  by  Jupiter,  but  well  I  deem 
Thou  wilt  not  find  thy  share  of  suffering  light.” 

Thus  having  said  he  urged  his  coursers  on,  455 
With  their  fair-flowing  manes,  until  he  came 
To  AEgae,  where  his  glorious  palace  stands. 

But  Pallas,  child  of  Jove,  had  other  thoughts. 
She  stayed  the  course  of  every  wind  beside, 

And  bade  them  rest,  and  lulled  them  into  sleep,  460 
But  summoned  the  swift  north  to  break  the  waves, 
That  so  Ulysses,  the  high-born,  escaped 
From  death  and  from  the  fates,  might  be  the  guest 
Of  the  Phaeacians,  —  men  who  love  the  sea. 

Two  days  and  nights  among  the  mighty  waves  46s 
He  floated,  oft  his  heart  foreboding  death. 

But  when  the  bright-haired  Eos  had  fulfilled 
The  third  day’s  course,  and  all  the  winds  were  laid, 
And  calm  was  on  the  watery  waste,  he  saw 
That  land  was  near,  as,  lifted  on  the  crest  470 

Of  a  huge  swell,  he  looked  with  sharpened  sight ; 
And  as  a  father’s  life  preserved  makes  glad 
His  children’s  hearts,  when  long  time  he  has  lain 
Sick,  wrung  with  pain,  and  wasting  by  the  power 
Of  some  malignant  genius,  till  at  length  47s 


Book  V. 


117 


The  gracious  gods  bestow  a  welcome  cure, 

So  welcome  to  Ulysses  was  the  sight 
Of  woods  and  fields.  By  swimming  on  he  thought 
To  climb  and  tread  the  shore ;  but  when  he  drew 
So  near  that  one  who  shouted  could  be  heard  480 
From  land,  the  sound  of  ocean  on  the  rocks 
Came  to  his  ear,  —  for  there  huge  breakers  roared 
And  spouted  fearfully,  and  all  around 
Was  covered  with  the  sea-foam.  Haven  here 
Was  none  for  ships,  nor  sheltering  creek,  but 
shores  48s 

Beetling  from  high,  and  crags  and  walls  of  rock. 
Ulysses  trembled  both  in  knees  and  heart, 

And  thus  to  his  great  soul,  lamenting,  said  :  — 

“  Now  woe  is  me  !  as  soon  as  Jove  has  shown 
What  I  had  little  hoped  to  see,  the  land,  490 

And  I  through  all  these  waves  have  ploughed  my  way, 
I  find  no  issue  from  the  hoary  deep. 

For  sharp  rocks  border  it,  and  all  around 
Roar  the  wild  surges  ;  slippery  cliffs  arise 
Close  to  deep  gulfs,  and  footing  there  is  none  49s 
Where  I  might  plant  my  steps  and  thus  escape. 

All  effort  now  were  fruitless  to  resist 
The  mighty  billow  hurrying  me  away 
To  dash  me  on  the  pointed  rocks.  If  yet 
I  strive,  by  swimming  further,  to  descry  500 

Some  sloping  shore  or  harbor  of  the  isle, 

I  fear  the  tempest,  lest  it  hurl  me  back, 

Heavily  groaning,  to  the  fishy  deep ; 


1 1 8 


The  Odyssey. 


Or  huge  sea-monster,  from  the  multitude 
Which  sovereign  Amphitrite  feeds,  be  sent  50s 

Against  me  by  some  god,  —  for  well  I  know 
The  power  who  shakes  the  shores  is  wroth  with  me.” 

While  he  revolved  these  doubts  within  his  mind, 
A  huge  wave  hurled  him  toward  the  rugged  coast. 
Then  had  his  limbs  been  flayed,  and  all  his  bones  s«> 
Broken  at  once,  had  not  the  blue-eyed  maid, 
Minerva,  prompted  him.  Borne  toward  the  rock, 
He  clutched  it  instantly  with  both  his  hands, 

And  panting  clung  till  that  huge  wave  rolled  by, 
And  so  escaped  its  fury.  Back  it  came,  51s 

And  smote  him  once  again,  and  flung  him  far 
Seaward.  As  to  the  claws  of  Polypus, 

Plucked  from  its  bed,  the  pebbles  thickly  cling, 

So  flakes  of  skin,  from  off  his  powerful  hands, 
Were  left  upon  the  rock.  The  mighty  surge  520 
O’erwhelmed  him  ;  he  had  perished  ere  his  time,  — 
Hapless  Ulysses  !  —  but  the  blue-eyed  maid, 

Pallas,  informed  his  mind  with  forecast.  Straight 
Emerging  from  the  wave  that  shoreward  rolled, 

He  swam  along  the  coast  and  eyed  it  well,  525 
In  hope  of  sloping  beach  or  sheltered  creek. 

But  when,  in  swimming,  he  had  reached  the  mouth 
Of  a  soft-flowing  river,  here  appeared 
The  spot  he  wished  for,  smooth,  without  a  rock, 
And  here  was  shelter  from  the  wind.  He  felt  530 
The  current’s  flow,  and  thus  devoutly  prayed  :  — 

“  Hear  me,  O  sovereign  power,  whoe’er  thou  art ! 


Book  V 


1 19 


To  thee,  the  long-desired,  I  come.  I  seek 
Escape  from  Neptune’s  threatenings  on  the  sea. 
The  deathless  gods  respect  the  prayer  of  him  533 
Who  looks  to  them  for  help,  a  fugitive, 

As  I  am  now,  when  to  thy  stream  I  come, 

And  to  thy  knees,  from  many  a  hardship  past. 

O  thou  that  here  art  ruler,  I  declare 
Myself  thy  suppliant ;  be  thou  merciful.”  540 

He  spoke  :  the  river  stayed  his  current,  checked 
The  billows,  smoothed  them  to  a  calm,  and  gave 
The  swimmer  a  safe  landing  at  his  mouth. 

Then  dropped  his  knees  and  sinewy  arms  at  once, 
Unstrung,  for  faint  with  struggling  was  his  heart.  543 
His  body  was  all  swoln  ;  the  brine  gushed  forth 
From  mouth  and  nostrils  ;  all  unnerved  he  lay, 
Breathless  and  speechless  ;  utter  weariness 
O’ermastered  him.  But  when  he  breathed  again, 
And  his  flown  senses  had  returned,  he  loosed  ss«» 
The  veil  that  Ino  gave  him  from  his  breast, 

And  to  the  salt  flood  cast  it.  A  great  wave 
Bore  it  far  down  the  stream ;  the  goddess  there 
In  her  own  hands  received  it.  He,  meanwhile, 
Withdrawing  from  the  brink,  lay  down  among  sss 
The  reeds,  and  kissed  the  harvest-bearing  earth, 
And  thus  to  his  great  soul,  lamenting,  said  :  — 

“  Ah  me  !  what  must  I  suffer  more  ?  what  yet 
Will  happen  to  me  ?  If  by  the  river’s  side 
I  pass  the  unfriendly  watches  of  the  night,  560 

The  cruel  cold  and  dews  that  steep  the  bank 


120 


The  Odyssey. 


May,  in  this  weakness,  end  me  utterly, 

For  chilly  blows  this  river-air  at  dawn  ; 

But  should  I  climb  this  hill,  to  sleep  within 
The  shadowy  wood,  among  thick  shrubs,  if  cold  565 
And  weariness  allow  me,  then  I  fear, 

That,  while  the  pleasant  slumbers  o’er  me  steal, 

I  may  become  the  prey  of  savage  beasts.” 

Yet,  as  he  longer  pondered,  this  seemed  best. 

He  rose,  and  sought  the  wood,  and  found  it  near  57° 
The  water,  on  a  height,  o’erlooking  far 
The  region  round.  Between  two  shrubs  that  sprang 
Both  from  one  spot  he  entered,  —  olive-trees, 

One  wild,  one  fruitful.  The  damp-blowing  wind 
Ne’er  pierced  their  covert ;  never  blazing  sun  575 
Darted  his  beams  within,  nor  pelting  shower 
Beat  through,  so  closely  intertwined  they  grew. 
Here  entering,  Ulysses  heaped  a  bed 
Of  leaves  with  his  own  hands ;  he  made  it  broad 
And  high,  for  thick  the  leaves  had  fallen  around.  580 
Two  men  and  three,  in  that  abundant  store, 

Might  bide  the  winter  storm,  though  keen  the  cold. 
Ulysses,  the  great  sufferer,  on  his  couch 
Looked  and  rejoiced,  and  placed  himself  within, 
And  heaped  the  leaves  high  o’er  him  and  around,  58s 
As  one  who,  dwelling  in  the  distant  fields, 

Without  a  neighbor  near  him,  hides  a  brand 
In  the  dark  ashes,  keeping  carefully 
The  seeds  of  fire  alive,  lest  he,  perforce, 

To  light  his  hearth  must  bring  them  from  afar ; 


590 


Book  VI. 


1 2  I 


So  did  Ulysses  in  that  pile  of  leaves 
Bury  himself,  while  Pallas  o’er  his  eyes 
Poured  sleep,  and  closed  his  lids,  that  he  might  take, 
After  his  painful  toils,  the  fitting  rest. 


BOOK  VI. 

THUS  overcome  with  toil  and  weariness, 

The  noble  sufferer  Ulysses  slept, 

While  Pallas  hastened  to  the  realm  and  town 
Peopled  by  the  Phaeacians,  who  of  yore 
Abode  in  spacious  Hypereia,  near  5 

The  insolent  race  of  Cyclops,  and  endured 
Wrong  from  their  mightier  hands.  A  godlike  chief, 
Nausithoiis,  led  them  to  a  new  abode, 

And  planted  them  in  Scheria,  far  away 
From  plotting  neighbors.  With  a  wall  he  fenced  10 
Their  city,  built  them  dwellings  there,  and  reared 
Fanes  to  the  gods,  and  changed  the  plain  to  fields. 
But  he  had  bowed  to  death,  and  had  gone  down 
To  Hades,  and  Alcinoiis,  whom  the  gods 
Endowed  with  wisdom,  governed  in  his  stead.  15 
Now  to  his  palace,  planning  the  return 
Of  the  magnanimous  Ulysses,  came 
The  blue-eyed  goddess  Pallas,  entering 
The  gorgeous  chamber  where  a  damsel  slept,  — 
Nausicaa,  daughter  of  the  large-souled  king  20 

6 


VOL.  I. 


122 


The  Odyssey. 


Alcinoiis,  beautiful  in  form  and  face 
As  one  of  the  immortals.  Near  her  lay, 

And  by  the  portal,  one  on  either  side, 

Fair  as  the  Graces,  two  attendant  maids. 

The  shining  doors  were  shut.  But  Pallas  came  25 
As  comes  a  breath  of  air,  and  stood  beside 
The  damsel’s  head  and  spake.  In  look  she  seemed 
The  daughter  of  the  famous  mariner 
Dymas,  a  maiden  whom  Nausicaa  loved, 

The  playmate  of  her  girlhood.  In  her  shape  30 
The  blue-eyed  goddess  stood,  and  thus  she  said  :  — 
“  Nausicaa,  has  thy  mother  then  brought  forth 
A  careless  housewife  ?  Thy  magnificent  robes 
Lie  still  neglected,  though  thy  marriage  day 
Is  near,  when  thou  art  to  array  thyself  25 

In  seemly  garments,  and  bestow  the  like 
On  those  who  lead  thee  to  the  bridal  rite  ; 

For  thus  the  praise  of  men  is  won,  and  thus 
Thy  father  and  thy  gracious  mother  both 
Will  be  rejoiced.  Now  with  the  early  dawn 
Let  us  all  hasten  to  the  washing-place. 

I  too  would  go  with  thee,  and  help  thee  there, 

That  thou  mayst  sooner  end  the  task,  for  thou 
Not  long  wilt  be  unwedded.  Thou  art  wooed 
Already  by  the  noblest  of  the  race  43 

Of  the  Phaeacians,  for  thy  birth,  like  theirs, 

Is  of  the  noblest.  Make  thy  suit  at  morn 
To  thy  illustrious  father,  that  he  bid 
His  mules  and  car  be  harnessed  to  convey 


Book  VI. 


123 


Thy  girdles,  robes,  and  mantles  marvellous  so 
In  beauty.  That  were  seemlier  than  to  walk. 

Since  distant  from  the  town  the  lavers  lie.” 

Thus  having  said,  the  blue-eyed  Pallas  went 
Back  to  Olympus,  where  the  gods  have  made, 

So  saith  tradition,  their  eternal  seat.  55 

The  tempest  shakes  it  not,  nor  is  it  drenched 
By  showers,  and  there  the  snow  doth  never  fall. 
The  calm  clear  ether  is  without  a  cloud  ; 

And  in  the  golden  light,  that  lies  on  all, 

Days  after  day  the  blessed  gods  rejoice.  <*> 

Thither  the  blue-eyed  goddess,  having  given 
Her  message  to  the  sleeping  maid,  withdrew. 

Soon  the  bright  morning  came.  Nausicaa  rose, 
Clad  royally,  as  marvelling  at  her  dream 
She  hastened  through  the  palace  to  declare  e5 

Her  purpose  to  her  father  and  the  queen. 

She  found  them  both  within.  Her  mother  sat 
Beside  the  hearth  with  her  attendant  maids, 

And  turned  the  distaff  loaded  with  a  fleece 
Dyed  in  sea-purple.  On  the  threshold  stood  70 
Her  father,  going  forth  to  meet  the  chiefs 
Of  the  Phaeacians  in  a  council  where 
Their  noblest  asked  his  presence.  Then  the  maid, 
Approaching  her  beloved  father,  spake  :  — 

“  I  pray,  dear  father,  give  command  to  make  75 
A  chariot  ready  for  me,  with  high  sides 
And  sturdy  wheels,  to  bear  to  the  river-brink, 

There  to  be  cleansed,  the  costly  robes  that  now 


124 


The  Odyssey. 


Lie  soiled.  Thee  likewise  it  doth  well  beseem 
At  councils  to  appear  in  vestments  fresh  s° 

And  stainless.  Thou  hast  also  in  these  halls 
Five  sons,  two  wedded,  three  in  boyhood’s  bloom. 
And  ever  in  the  dance  they  need  attire 
New  from  the  wash.  All  this  must  I  provide.” 

She  ended,  for  she  shrank  from  saying  aught  s5 
Of  her  own  hopeful  marriage.  He  perceived 
Her  thought  and  said  :  “  Mules  I  deny  thee  not, 
My  daughter,  nor  aught  else.  Go  then  ;  my  grooms 
Shall  make  a  carriage  ready  with  high  sides 
And  sturdy  wheels,  and  a  broad  rack  above.”  90 

He  spake,  and  gave  command.  The  grooms 
obeyed, 

And,  making  ready  in  the  outer  court 
The  strong-wheeled  chariot,  led  the  harnessed  mules 
Under  the  yoke  and  made  them  fast ;  and  then 
Appeared  the  maiden,  bringing  from  her  bower  9s 
The  shining  garments.  In  the  polished  car 
She  piled  them,  while  with  many  pleasant  meats 
And  flavoring  morsels  for  the  day’s  repast 
Her  mother  filled  a  hamper,  and  poured  wine 
Into  a  goatskin.  As  her  daughter  climbed  100 
The  car,  she  gave  into  her  hands  a  cruse 
Of  gold  with  smooth  anointing  oil  for  her 
And  her  attendant  maids.  Nausicaa  took 
The  scourge  and  showy  reins,  and  struck  the  mules 
To  urge  them  onward.  Onward  with  loud  noise  105 
They  went,  and  with  a  speed  that  slackened  not, 


Book  VI. 


125 


And  bore  the  robes  and  her,  — yet  not  alone, 

For  with  her  went  the  maidens  of  her  train. 

Now  when  they  reached  the  river’s  pleasant  brink, 
Where  lavers  had  been  hollowed  out  to  last  no 
Perpetually,  and  freely  through  them  flowed 
Pure  water  that  might  cleanse  the  foulest  stains, 
They  loosed  the  mules,  and  drove  them  from  the  wain 
To  browse  the  sweet  grass  by  the  eddying  stream  ; 
And  took  the  garments  out,  and  flung  them  down  ns 
In  the  dark  water,  and  with  hasty  feet 
Trampled  them  there  in  frolic  rivalry. 

And  when  the  task  was  done,  and  all  the  stains 
Were  cleansed  away,  they  spread  the  garments  out 
Along  the  beach  and  where  the  stream  had  washed  no 
The  gravel  cleanest.  Then  they  bathed,  and  gave 
Their  limbs  the  delicate  oil,  and  took  their  meal 
Upon  the  river’s  border,  —  while  the  robes 
Beneath  the  sun’s  warm  rays  were  growing  dry. 
And  now,  when  they  were  all  refreshed  by  food,  ns 
Mistress  and  maidens  laid  their  veils  aside 
And  played  at  ball.  Nausicaa  the  white-armed 
Began  a  song.  As  when  the  archer-queen 
Diana,  going  forth  among  the  hills, — 

The  sides  of  high  Taygetus  or  slopes  130 

Of  Erymanthus,  —  chases  joyously 

Boars  and  fleet  stags,  and  round  her  in  a  throng 

Frolic  the  rural  nymphs,  Latona’s  heart 

Is  glad,  for  over  all  the  rest  are  seen 

Her  daughter’s  head  and  brow,  and  she  at  once  13s 


126 


The  Odyssey. 


Is  known  among  them,  though  they  all  are  fair, 
Such  was  this  spotless  virgin  midst  her  maids. 

Now  when  they  were  about  to  move  for  home 
With  harnessed  mules  and  with  the  shining  robes 
Carefully  fulded,  then  the  blue-eyed  maid,  140 

Pallas,  bethought  herself  of  this,  —  to  rouse 
Ulysses  and  to  bring  him  to  behold 
The  bright-eyed  maiden,  that  she  might  direct 
The  stranger’s  way  to  the  Phaeacian  town. 

The  royal  damsel  at  a  handmaid  cast  14s 

The  ball ;  it  missed,  and  fell  into  the  stream 
Where  a  deep  eddy  whirled.  All  shrieked  aloud. 
The  great  Ulysses  started  from  his  sleep 
And  sat  upright,  discoursing  to  himself :  — 

“  Ah  me  !  upon  what  region  am  I  thrown  ?  150 

What  men  are  here,  —  wild,  savage,  and  unjust, 

Or  hospitable,  and  who  hold  the  gods 
In  reverence  ?  There  are  voices  in  the  air, 
Womanly  voices,  as  of  nymphs  that  haunt 
The  mountain  summits,  and  the  river-founts,  155 
And  the  moist  grassy  meadows.  Or  perchance 
Am  I  near  men  who  have  the  power  of  speech  ? 
Nay,  let  me  then  go  forth  at  once  and  learn.” 

Thus  having  said,  the  great  Ulysses  left 
The  thicket.  From  the  close-grown  wood  he  rent,  i&> 
With  his  strong  hand,  a  branch  well  set  with  leaves, 
And  wound  it  as  a  covering  round  his  waist. 

Then  like  a  mountain  lion  he  went  forth, 

That  walks  abroad,  confiding  in  his  strength, 


Book  VI. 


127 


In  rain  and  wind  ;  his  eyes  shoot  fire  ;  he  falls  165 
On  oxen,  or  on  sheep,  or  forest-deer, 

For  hunger  prompts  him  even  to  attack 
The  flock  within  its  closely  guarded  fold. 

Such  seemed  Ulysses  when  about  to  meet 
Those  fair-haired  maidens,  naked  as  he  was,  17° 
But  forced  by  strong  necessity.  To  them 
His  look  was  frightful,  for  his  limbs  were  foul 
With  sea-foam  yet.  To  right  and  left  they  fled 
Along  the  jutting  river-banks.  Alone 
The  daughter  of  Alcinoiis  kept  her  place,  17s 

For  Pallas  gave  her  courage  and  forbade 
Her  limbs  to  tremble.  So  she  waited  there. 
Ulysses  pondered  whether  to  approach 
The  bright-eyed  damsel  and  embrace  her  knees 
And  supplicate,  or,  keeping  yet  aloof,  180 

Pray  her  with  soothing  words  to  show  the  way 
Townward  and  give  him  garments.  Musing  thus, 
It  seemed  the  best  to  keep  at  distance  still, 

And  use  soft  words,  lest,  should  he  clasp  her  knees, 
The  maid  might  be  displeased.  With  gentle  words  185 
Skilfully  ordered  thus  Ulysses  spake  :  — 

“  O  queen,  I  am  thy  suppliant,  whether  thou 
Be  mortal  or  a  goddess.  If  perchance 
Thou  art  of  that  immortal  race  who  dwell 
In  the  broad  heaven,  thou  art,  I  deem,  most  like  190 
To  Dian,  daughter  of  imperial  Jove, 

In  shape,  in  stature,  and  in  noble  air. 

If  mortal  and  a  dweller  of  the  earth, 


128 


The  Odyssey. 


Thrice  happy  are  thy  father  and  his  queen, 

Thrice  happy  are  thy  brothers  ;  and  their  hearts  19s 
Must  overflow  with  gladness  for  thy  sake, 
Beholding  such  a  scion  of  their  house 
Enter  the  choral  dance.  But  happiest  he 
Beyond  them  all,  who,  bringing  princely  gifts, 

Shall  bear  thee  to  his  home  a  bride  ;  for  sure  200 
I  never  looked  on  one  of  mortal  race, 

Woman  or  man,  like  thee,  and  as  I  gaze 
I  wonder.  Like  to  thee  I  saw  of  late, 

In  Delos,  a  young  palm-tree  growing  up 

Beside  Apollo’s  altar  ;  for  I  sailed  *>5 

To  Delos,  with  much  people  following  me, 

On  a  disastrous  voyage.  Long  I  gazed 
Upon  it  wonder-struck,  as  I  am  now,  — 

For  never  from  the  earth  so  fair  a  tree 

Had  sprung.  So  marvel  I,  and  am  amazed  210 

At  thee,  O  lady,  and  in  awe  forbear 

To  clasp  thy  knees.  Yet  much  have  I  endured. 

It  was  but  yestereve  that  I  escaped 
From  the  black  sea,  upon  the  twentieth  day, 

So  long  the  billows  and  the  rushing  gales  21s 

Farther  and  farther  from  Ogygia’s  isle 
Had  borne  me.  Now  upon  this  shore  some  god 
Casts  me,  perchance  to  meet  new  sufferings  here ; 
For  yet  the  end  is  not,  and  many  things 
The  gods  must  first  accomplish.  But  do  thou,  220 
O  queen,  have  pity  on  me,  since  to  thee 
I  come  the  first  of  all.  I  do  not  know 


Book  VI. 


129 


A  single  dweller  of  the  land  beside. 

Show  me,  I  pray,  thy  city ;  and  bestow 
Some  poor  old  robe  to  wrap  me,  —  if,  indeed,  225 
In  coming  hither,  thou  hast  brought  with  thee 
Aught  poor  or  coarse.  And  may  the  gods  vouchsafe 
To  thee  whatever  blessing  thou  canst  wish, 
Husband  and  home  and  wedded  harmony. 

There  is  no  better,  no  more  blessed  state,  230 

Than  when  the  wife  and  husband  in  accord 
Order  their  household  lovingly.  Then  those 
Repine  who  hate  them,  those  who  wish  them  well 
Rejoice,  and  they  themselves  the  most  of  all.” 

And  then  the  white-armed  maid  Nausicaa 
said :  —  235 

“  Since  then,  O  stranger,  thou  art  not  malign 
Of  purpose  nor  weak-minded,  —  yet,  in  truth, 
Olympian  Jupiter  bestows  the  goods 
Of  fortune  on  the  noble  and  the  base 
To  each  one  at  his  pleasure  ;  and  thy  griefs  240 
Are  doubtless  sent  by  him,  and  it  is  fit 
That  thou  submit  in  patience,  —  now  that  thou 
Hast  reached  our  lands,  and  art  within  our  realm, 
Thou  shalt  not  lack  for  garments  nor  for  aught 
Due  to  a  suppliant  stranger  in  his  need.  24s 

The  city  I  will  show  thee,  and  will  name 
Its  dwellers,  —  the  Phaeacians,  —  they  possess 
The  city  ;  all  the  region  lying  round 
Is  theirs,  and  I  am  daughter  of  the  prince 
Alcinoiis,  large  of  soul,  to  whom  are  given  250 

6* 


1 


130 


The  Odyssey. 


The  rule  of  the  Phseacians  and  their  power.” 

So  spake  the  damsel,  and  commanded  thus 
Her  fair-haired  maids  :  “  Stay  !  whither  do  ye  flee, 
My  handmaids,  when  a  man  appears  in  sight  ? 

Ye  think,  perhaps,  he  is  some  enemy.  25s 

Nay,  there  is  no  man  living  now,  nor  yet 

Will  live,  to  enter,  bringing  war,  the  land 

Of  the  Phaeacians.  Very  dear  are  they 

To  the  great  gods.  We  dwell  apart,  afar 

Within  the  unmeasured  deep,  amid  its  waves  260 

The  most  remote  of  men  ;  no  other  race 

Hath  commerce  with  us.  This  man  comes  to  us 

A  wanderer  and  unhappy,  and  to  him 

Our  cares  are  due.  The  stranger  and  the  poor 

Are  sent  by  Jove,  and  slight  regards  to  them  265 

Are  grateful.  Maidens,  give  the  stranger  food 

And  drink,  and  take  him  to  the  river-side 

To  bathe  where  there  is  shelter  from  the  wind.” 

So  spake  the  mistress  ;  and  they  stayed  their  flight 
And  bade  each  other  stand,  and  led  the  chief  270 
Under  a  shelter  as  the  royal  maid, 

Daughter  of  stout  Alcinoiis,  gave  command, 

And  laid  a  cloak  and  tunic  near  the  spot 
To  be  his  raiment,  and  a  golden  cruse 
Of  limpid  oil.  Then,  as  they  bade  him  bathe  27s 
In  the  fresh  stream,  the  noble  chieftain  said  :  — 

“  Withdraw,  ye  maidens,  hence,  while  I  prepare 
To  cleanse  my  shoulders  from  the  bitter  brine, 

And  to  anoint  them  ;  long  have  these  my  limbs 


Book  VI. 


I3i 


Been  unrefreshed  by  oil.  I  will  not  bathe  280 

Before  you.  I  should  be  ashamed  to  stand 
Unclothed  in  presence  of  these  bright-haired  maids.” 

He  spake  ;  they  hearkened  and  withdrew,  and  told 
The  damsel  what  he  said.  Ulysses  then 
Washed  the  salt  spray  of  ocean  from  his  back  205 
And  his  broad  shoulders  in  the  flowing  stream, 

And  wiped  away  the  sea-froth  from  his  brows. 

And  when  the  bath  was  over,  and  his  limbs 
Had  been  anointed,  and  he  had  put  on 
The  garments  sent  him  by  the  spotless  maid,  290 
Jove’s  daughter,  Pallas,  caused  him  to  appear 
Of  statelier  size  and  more  majestic  mien, 

And  bade  the  locks  that  crowned  his  head  flow  down, 
Curling  like  blossoms  of  the  hyacinth. 

As  when  some  skilful  workman  trained  and  taught  29s 

By  Vulcan  and  Minerva  in  his  art 

Binds  the  bright  silver  with  a  verge  of  gold, 

And  graceful  is  his  handiwork,  such  grace 

Did  Pallas  shed  upon  the  hero’s  brow 

And  shoulders,  as  he  passed  along  the  beach,  300 

And,  glorious  in  his  beauty  and  the  pride 

Of  noble  bearing,  sat  aloof.  The  maid 

Admired,  and  to  her  bright-haired  women  spake  :  — 

“  Listen  to  me,  my  maidens,  while  I  speak. 

This  man  comes  not  among  the  godlike  sons  305 
Of  the  Phaeacian  stock  against  the  will 
Of  all  the  gods  of  heaven.  I  thought  him  late 
Of  an  unseemly  aspect ;  now  he  bears 


132 


The  Odyssey. 


A  likeness  to  the  immortal  ones  whose  home 
Is  the  broad  heaven.  I  would  that  I  might  call  310 
A  man  like  him  my  husband,  dwelling  here, 

And  here  content  to  dwell.  Now  hasten,  maids, 
And  set  before  the  stranger  food  and  wine.” 

She  spake  ;  they  heard  and  cheerfully  obeyed, 
And  set  before  Ulysses  food  and  wine.  315 

The  patient  chief  Ulysses  ate  and  drank 
Full  eagerly,  for  he  had  fasted  long. 

White-armed  Nausicaa  then  had  other  cares. 

She  placed  the  smoothly  folded  robes  within 
The  sumptuous  chariot,  yoked  the  firm-hoofed 
mules,  320 

And  mounted  to  her  place,  and  from  the  seat 
Spake  kindly,  counselling  Ulysses  thus  :  — 

“  Now,  stranger,  rise  and  follow  to  the  town, 

And  to  my  royal  father’s  palace  I 
Will  be  thy  guide,  where,  doubt  not,  thou  wilt 
meet  325 

The  noblest  men  of  our  Phaeacian  race. 

But  do  as  I  advise,  —  for  not  inapt 
I  deem  thee.  While  we  traverse  yet  the  fields 
Among  the  tilth,  keep  thou  among  my  train 
Of  maidens,  following  fast  behind  the  mules  330 
And  chariot.  I  will  lead  thee  in  the  way. 

But  when  our  train  goes  upward  toward  the  town, 
Fenced  with  its  towery  wall,  and  on  each  side 
Embraced  by  a  fair  haven,  with  a  strait 
Of  narrow  entrance,  where  our  well-oared  barks  33s 


Book  VI. 


133 


Have  each  a  mooring-place  along  the  road, 

And  there  round  Neptune’s  glorious  fane  extends 
A  market-place,  surrounded  by  huge  stones, 
Draggedfrom  the  quarry  hither,  where  is  kept 
The  rigging  of  the  barks,  —  sail-cloth  and  ropes,--.  340 
And  oars  are  polished  there,  —  for  little  reok 
Phaeacians  of  the  quiver  and  the  bow, 

And  give  most  heed  to  masts  and  shrouds  and  ships 
Well  poised,  in  which  it  is  their  pride  to  cross 
The  foamy  deep,  —  when  there  I  would  not  bring  343 
Rude  taunts  upon  myself,  for  in  the  crowd 
Are  brutal  men.  One  of  the  baser  sort 
Perchance  might  say,  on  meeting  us  :  c  What  man, 
Handsome  and  lusty-limbed,  is  he  who  thus 
Follows  Nausicaa?  where  was  it  her  luck  350 

To  find  him  ?  will  he  be  her  husband  yet  ? 

Perhaps  she  brings  some  wanderer  from  his  ship, 

A  stranger  from  strange  lands,  for  we  have  here 
No  neighbors ;  or,  perhaps,  it  is  a  god 
Called  down  by  fervent  prayer  from  heaven  to 
dwell  3S5 

Henceforth  with  her.  ’T  is  well  if  she  have  found 
A  husband  elsewhere,  since  at  home  she  meets 
Her  many  noble  wooers  with  disdain ; 

They  are  Phaeacians.’  Thus  the  crowd  would  say, 
And  it  would  bring  reproach  upon  my  name.  360 
I  too  would  blame  another  who  should  do 
The  like,  and,  while  her  parents  were  alive, 

Without  their  knowledge  should  consort  with  men 


134 


The  Odyssey. 


Before  her  marriage.  Stranger,  now  observe 
My  words,  and  thou  shait  speedily  obtain  365 

Safe-conduct  from  my  father,  and  be  sent 
Upon  thy  voyage  homeward.  We  shall  reach 
A  beautiful  grove  of  poplars  by  the  way, 

Sacred  to  Pallas  ;  from  it  flows  a  brook, 

And  round  it  lies  a  meadow.  In  this  spot  370 

My  father  has  his  country-grounds,  and  here 

His  garden  flourishes,  as  far  from  town 

As  one  could  hear  a  shout.  There  sit  thou  down 

And  wait  till  we  are  in  the  city’s  streets 

And  at  my  father’s  house.  When  it  shall  seem  37s 

That  we  are  there,  arise  and  onward  fare 

To  the  Phseacian  city,  and  inquire 

Where  dwells  Alcinous  the  large-souled  king, 

My  father ;  ’t  is  not  hard  to  find  ;  a  child 
Might  lead  thee  thither.  Of  the  houses  reared  380 
By  the  Phseacians  there  is  none  like  that 
I11  which  Alcinous  the  hero  dwells. 

When  thou  art  once  within  the  court  and  hall, 

Go  quickly  through  the  palace  till  thou  find 
My  mother  where  she  sits  beside  the  hearth,  383 
Leaning  against  a  column  in  its  blaze, 

And  twisting  threads,  a  marvel  to  behold, 

Of  bright  sea-purple,  while  her  maidens  sit 
Behind  her.  Near  her  is  my  father’s  throne, 

On  which  he  sits  at  feasts,  and  drinks  the  wine  390 

Like  one  of  the  immortals.  Pass  it  by 

And  clasp  my  mother’s  knees ;  so  mayst  thou  see 


Book  VI. 


135 


Soon  and  with  joy  the  day  of  thy  return, 

Although  thy  home  be  far.  For  if  her  mood 
Be  kindly  toward  thee,  thou  mayst  hope  to  greet  395 
Thy  friends  once  more,  and  enter  yet  again 
Thy  own  fair  palace  in  thy  native  land.” 

Thus  having  said,  she  raised  the  shining  scourge 
And  struck  the  mules,  that  quickly  left  behind 
The  river.  On  they  went  with  easy  pace  400 

And  even  steps.  The  damsel  wielded  well 
The  reins,  and  used  the  lash  with  gentle  hand, 

So  that  Ulysses  and  her  train  of  maids 
On  foot  could  follow  close.  And  now  the  sun 
Was  sinking  when  they  came  to  that  fair  grove  40s 
Sacred  to  Pallas.  There  the  noble  chief 
Ulysses  sat  him  down,  and  instantly 
Prayed  to  the  daughter  of  imperial  Jove  :  — 

“  O  thou  unconquerable  child  of  Jove 
The  AEgis-bearer  !  hearken  to  me  now,  410 

Since  late  thou  wouldst  not  listen  to  my  prayer, 
What  time  the  mighty  shaker  of  the  shores 
Pursued  and  wrecked  me  !  Grant  me  to  receive 
Pity  and  kindness  from  Phasacia’s  sons.” 

So  prayed  he,  supplicating.  Pallas  heard  415 
The  prayer,  but  came  not  to  him  openly. 

Awe  of  her  father’s  brother  held  her  back ; 

For  he  would  still  pursue  with  violent  hate 
Ulysses,  till  he  reached  his  native  land. 


136 


The  Odyssey. 


BOOK  VII. 

SO  prayed  Ulysses  the  great  sufferer. 

The  strong  mules  bore  the  damsel  toward  the 
town. 

And  when  she  reached  her  father’s  stately  halls 
She  stopped  beneath  the  porch.  Her  brothers 
came 

Around  her,  like  in  aspect  to  the  gods,  5 

And  loosed  the  mules,  and  bore  the  garments  in. 
She  sought  her  chamber,  where  an  aged  dame 
Attendant  there,  an  Epirote,  and  named 
Eurymedusa,  lighted  her  a  fire. 

She  by  the  well-oared  galleys  had  been  brought  » 
Beforetime  from  Epirus,  and  was  given 
To  king  Alcinoiis,  ruler  over  all 
Phaeacia’s  sons,  who  hearkened  to  his  voice 
As  if  he  were  a  god.  ’T  was  she  who  reared 
White-armed  Nausicaa  in  the  royal  halls,  15 

Tended  her  hearth,  and  dressed  her  evening  meal. 

Now  rose  Ulysses  up,  and  townward  turned 
His  steps,  while  friendly  Pallas  wrapt  his  way 
In  darkness,  lest  some  one  among  the  sons 
Of  the  Phaeacians  with  unmannerly  words  20 

Might  call  to  him  or  ask  him  who  he  was. 

And  just  as  he  was  entering  that  fair  town 
The  blue-eyed  Pallas  met  him,  in  the  form 
Of  a  young  virgin  with  an  urn.  She  stood 


Book  VII. 


*37 


Before  him,  and  Ulysses  thus  inquired  :  —  25 

“  Wilt  thou,  my  daughter,  guide  me  to  the  house 
Where  dwells  Alcinoiis,  he  who  rules  this  land  ? 

I  am  a  stranger,  who  have  come  from  far 
After  long  hardships,  and  of  all  who  dwell 
Within  this  realm  I  know  not  even  one.”  30 

Pallas,  the  blue-eyed  goddess,  thus  replied  :  — 

“  Father  and  stranger,  I  will  show  the  house ; 

The  dwelling  of  my  own  good  father  stands 
Close  by  it.  Follow  silently,  I  pray, 

And  I  will  lead.  Look  not  on  any  man  ss 

Nor  ask  a  question  ;  for  the  people  here 
Affect  not  strangers,  nor  do  oft  receive 
With  kindly  welcome  him  who  comes  from  far. 

They  trust  in  their  swift  barks,  which  to  and  fro, 

By  Neptune’s  favor,  cross  the  mighty  deep.  40 

Their  galleys  have  the  speed  of  wings  or  thought.” 

Thus  Pallas  spake,  and  quickly  led  the  way. 

He  followed  in  her  steps.  They  saw  him  not,  — 
Those  trained  Phaeacian  seamen,  —  for  the  power 
That  led  him,  Pallas  of  the  amber  hair,  45 

Forbade  the  sight,  and  threw  a  friendly  veil 
Of  darkness  over  him.  Ulysses  saw, 

Wondering,  the  haven  and  the  gallant  ships, 

The  market-place  where  heroes  thronged,  the  walls 
Long,  lofty,  and  beset  with  palisades,  50 

A  marvel  to  the  sight.  But  when  they  came 
To  the  king’s  stately  palace,  thus  began 
The  blue-eyed  goddess,  speaking  to  the  chief :  — 


138 


The  Odyssey. 


“  Father  and  stranger,  here  thou  seest  the  house 
Which  thou  hast  bid  me  show  thee.  Thou  wilt 
find  5s 

The  princes,  nurslings  of  the  gods,  within, 

Royally  feasting.  Enter,  and  fear  not ; 

The  bold  man  ever  is  the  better  man, 

Although  he  come  from  far.  Thou  first  of  all 
Wilt  see  the  queen.  Arete  is  the  name  <*> 

The  people  give  her.  She  is  of  a  stock 
The  very  same  from  which  Alcinous 
The  king  derives  his  lineage.  For  long  since 
Nausithoiis,  its  founder,  was  brought  forth 
To  Neptune,  the  great  Shaker  of  the  shores,  65 
By  Peribaea,  fairest  of  her  sex, 

And  youngest  daughter  of  Eurymedon, 

The  large  of  soul,  who  ruled  the  arrogant  brood 
Of  giants,  and  beheld  that  guilty  race 
Cut  off,  and  perished  by  a  fate  like  theirs.  7° 

Her  Neptune  wooed ;  she  bore  to  him  a  son, 
Large-souled  Nausithoiis,  whom  Phseacia  owned 
Its  sovereign.  To  Nausithoiis  were  born 
Rhexenor  and  Alcinous.  He  who  bears 
.  The  silver  bow,  Apollo,  smote  to  death  75 

Rhexenor,  newly  wedded,  in  his  home. 

He  left  no  son,  and  but  one  daughter,  named 
Arete  ;  her  Alcinous  made  his  wife, 

And  honored  her  as  nowhere  else  on  earth 

Is  any  woman  honored  who  bears  charge  so 

Over  a  husband’s  household.  From  their  hearts 


Book  VII 


139 


Her  children  pay  her  reverence,  and  the  king 
And  all  the  people,  for  they  look  on  her 
As  if  she  were  a  goddess.  When  she  goes 
Abroad  into  the  streets,  all  welcome  her  s5 

With  acclamations.  Never  does  she  fail 
In  wise  discernment,  but  decides  disputes 
Kindly  and  justly  between  man  and  man. 

And  if  thou  gain  her  favor,  there  is  hope 
That  thou  mayst  see  thy  friends  once  more,  and 
stand  so 

In  thy  tall  palace  on  thy  native  soil.” 

The  blue-eyed  Pallas,  having  spoken  thus, 
Departed  o’er  the  barren  deep.  She  left 
The  pleasant  isle  of  Scheria,  and  repaired 
To  Marathon  and  to  the  spacious  streets  95 

Of  Athens,  entering  there  the  massive  halls 
Where  dwelt  Erectheus,  while  Ulysses  toward 
The  gorgeous  palace  of  Alcinoiis  turned 
His  steps,  yet  stopped  and  pondered  ere  he  crossed 
The  threshold.  For  on  every  side  beneath  100 
The  lofty  roof  of  that  magnanimous  king 
A  glory  shone  as  of  the  sun  or  moon. 

There  from  the  threshold,  on  each  side,  were  walls 
Of  brass  that  led  towards  the  inner  rooms, 

With  blue  steel  cornices.  The  doors  within  *>5 
The  massive  building  were  of  gold,  and  posts 
Of  silver  on  the  brazen  threshold  stood, 

And  silver  was  the  lintel,  and  above 
Its  architrave  was  gold  ;  and  on  each  side 


140 


The  Odyssey. 


Stood  gold  and  silver  mastiffs,  the  rare  work  no 
Of  Vulcan’s  practised  skill,  placed  there  to  guard 
The  house  of  great  Alcinoiis,  and  endowed 
With  deathless  life,  that  knows  no  touch  of  age. 
Along  the  walls  within,  on  either  side, 

And  from  the  threshold  to  the  inner  rooms,  ns 
Were  firmly  planted  thrones  on  which  were  laid 
Delicate  mantles,  woven  by  the  hands 
Of  women.  The  Phaeacian  princes  here 
Were  seated  ;  here  they  ate  and  drank,  and  held 
Perpetual  banquet.  Slender  forms  of  boys  120 

In  gold  upon  the  shapely  altars  stood,  * 

With  blazing  torches  in  their  hands  to  light 
At  eve  the  palace  guests  ;  while  fifty  maids 
Waited  within  the  halls,  where  some  in  querns 
Ground  small  the  yellow  grain  .*  some  wove  the 
web  x*s 

Or  twirled  the  spindle,  sitting,  with  a  quick 
Light  motion,  like  the  aspen’s  glancing  leaves. 

The  well-wrought  tissues  glistened  as  with  oil. 

As  far  as  the  Phaeacian  race  excel 

In  guiding  their  swift  galleys  o’er  the  deep,  130 

So  far  the  women  in  their  woven  work 

Surpass  all  others.  Pallas  gives  them  skill 

In  handiwork  and  beautiful  design. 

Without  the  palace-court,  and  near  the  gate, 

A  spacious  garden  of  four  acres  lay.  13s 

A  hedge  enclosed  it  round,  and  lofty  trees 
Flourished  in  generous  growth  within,  —  the  pear 


Book  VII. 


141 

And  the  pomegranate,  and  the  apple-tree 

With  its  fair  fruitage,  and  the  luscious  fig 

And  oli^e  always  green.  The  fruit  they  bear  140 

Falls  not,  nor  ever  fails  in  winter  time 

Nor  summer,  but  is  yielded  all  the  year. 

The  ever-blowing  west-wind  causes  some 

To  swell  and  some  to  ripen ;  pear  succeeds 

To  pear ;  to  apple  apple,  grape  to  grape,  145 

Fig  ripens  after  fig.  A  fruitful  field 

Of  vines  was  planted  near ;  in  part  it  lay 

Open  and  basking  in  the  sun,  which  dried 

The  soil,  and  here  men  gathered  in  the  grapes, 

And  there  they  trod  the  wine-press.  Farther  on  150 
Were  grapes  unripened  yet,  which  just  had  cast 
The  flower,  and  others  still  which  just  began 
To  redden.  At  the  garden’s  furthest  bound 
Were  beds  of  many  plants  that  all  the  year 
Bore  flowers.  There  gushed  two  fountains  :  one  of 
them  155 

Ran  wandering  through  the  field  ;  the  other  flowed 
Beneath  the  threshold  to  the  palace-court, 

And  all  the  people  filled  their  vessels  there. 

Such  were  the  blessings  which  the  gracious  gods 
Bestowed  on  King  Alcinoiis  and  his  house.  160 
Ulysses,  the  great  sufferer,  standing  there, 
Admired  the  sight ;  and  when  he  had  beheld 
The  whole  in  silent  wonderment,  he  crossed 
The  threshold  quickly,  entering  the  hall 
Where  the  Phseacian  peers  and  princes  poured  165 


142 


The  Odyssey. 


Wine  from  their  goblets  to  the  sleepless  one, 

The  Argus-queller,  to  whose  deity 

They  made  the  last  libations  when  they  thought 

Of  slumber.  The  great  sufferer,  concealed 

In  a  thick  mist,  which  Pallas  raised  and  cast  170 

Around  him,  hastened  through  the  hall  and  came 

Close  to  Arete  and  Alcinoiis, 

The  royal  pair.  Then  did  Ulysses  clasp 
Arete’s  knees,  when  suddenly  the  cloud 
Raised  by  the  goddess  vanished.  All  within  17s 
The  palace  were  struck  mute  as  they  beheld 
The  man  before  them.  Thus  Ulysses  prayed  :  — 

“  Arete,  daughter  of  the  godlike  chief 
Rhexenor !  to  thy  husband  I  am  come 
And  to  thy  knees,  from  many  hardships  borne,  180 
And  to  these  guests,  to  whom  may  the  good  gods 
Grant  to  live  happily,  and  to  hand  down, 

Each  one  to  his  own  children,  in  his  home, 

The  wealth  and  honors  which  the  people’s  love 
Bestowed  upon  him.  Grant  me,  I  entreat,  185 

An  escort,  that  I  may  behold  again 
And  soon  my  own  dear  country.  I  have  passed 
Long  years  in  sorrow,  far  from  all  I  love.” 

He  ended,  and  sat  down  upon  the  hearth 
Among  the  ashes,  near  the  fire,  and  all  190 

Were  silent  utterly.  At  length  outspake 
Echeneus,  oldest  and  most  eloquent  chief 
Of  the  Phseacians  ;  large  his  knowledge  was 
Of  things  long  past.  With  generous  intent, 


Book  VII. 


143 


And  speaking  to  the  assembly,  he  began  :  — 

“  Alcinoiis,  this  is  not  a  seemly  sight,  — 

A  stranger  sitting  on  the  hearth  among 
The  cinders.  All  the  others  here  await 
Thy  order,  and  move  not.  I  pray  thee,  raise 
The  stranger  up,  and  seat  him  on  a  throne 
Studded  with  silver.  Be  thy  heralds  called, 
And  bid  them  mingle  wine,  which  we  may  pour 
To  Jove,  the  god  of  thunders,  who  attends 
And  honors  every  suppliant.  Let  the  dame 
Who  oversees  the  palace  feast  provide 
Our  guest  a  banquet  from  the  stores  within.” 

This  when  the  reverend  king  Alcinoiis  heard, 
Forthwith  he  took  Ulysses  by  the  hand,  — 

That  man  of  wise  devices,  — raised  him  up 
And  seated  him  upon  a  shining  throne, 

From  which  he  bade  Laodamas  arise, 

His  manly  son,  whose  seat  was  next  to  his. 

“  Now  mingle  wine,  Protonoiis,  in  a  vase, 

For  all  within  the  palace,  to  be  poured 
To  Jove,  the  god  of  thunders,  who  attends 
And  honors  every  suppliant.”  As  he  spake 
Protonoiis  mingled  the  delicious  wines, 

And  passed  from  right  to  left,  distributing 
The  cups  to  all ;  and  when  they  all  had  poured 
A  part  to  Jove,  and  all  had  drunk  their  fill, 
Alcinoiis  took  the  word,  and  thus  he  said  :  — 

“  Princes  and  chiefs  of  the  Phaeacians,  hear. 

I  speak  as  my  heart  bids  me.  Since  the  feast 


19s 

200 

205 

210 

215 

220 


144 


The  Odyssey. 


Is  over,  take  your  rest  within  your  homes. 
To-morrow  shall  the  Senators  be  called 
In  larger  concourse.  We  will  pay  our  guest 
Due  honor  in  the  palace,  worshipping 
The  gods  with  solemn  sacrifice.  And  then 
Will  we  bethink  us  how  to  send  him  home, 

That  with  no  hindrance  and  no  hardship  borne 
Under  our  escort  he  may  come  again 
Gladly  and  quickly  to  his  native  land, 

Though  far  away  it  lie,  and  that  no  wrong 
Or  loss  may  happen  to  him  ere  he  set 
Foot  on  its  soil ;  and  there  must  he  endure 
Whatever,  when  his  mother  brought  him  forth, 
Fate  and  the  unrelenting  Sisters  spun 
For  the  new-born.  But  should  he  prove  to  be 
One  of  the  immortals  who  has  come  from  heaven 
Then  have  the  gods  a  different  design. 

For  hitherto  the  gods  have  shown  themselves 
Visibly  at  our  solemn  hecatombs, 

And  sat  with  us,  and  feasted  like  ourselves, 

And  when  the  traveller  meets  with  them  alone, 
They  never  hide  themselves  ;  for  we  to  them 
Are  near  of  kin,  as  near  as  is  the  race 
Of  Cyclops  and  the  savage  giant  brood.” 

Ulysses  the  sagacious  answered  him  :  — 

“  Nay,  think  not  so,  Alcinoiis.  I  am  not 
In  form  or  aspect  as  the  immortals  are, 

Whose  habitation  is  the  ample  heaven. 

But  I  am  like  whomever  thou  mayst  know, 


Book  VII : 


145 


Among  mankind,  inured  to  suffering  ; 

To  them  shouldst  thou  compare  me.  I  could  tell 
Of  bitterer  sorrows  yet,  which  I  have  borne  ;  255 

Such  was  the  pleasure  of  the  gods.  But  now 
Leave  me,  whatever  have  my  hardships  been, 

To  take  the  meal  before  me.  Naught  exceeds 
The  impatient  stomach’s  importunity 
When  even  the  afflicted  and  the  sorrowful  260 

Are  forced  to  heed  its  call.  So  even  now, 

Midst  all  the  sorrow  that  is  in  my  heart, 

It  bids  me  eat  and  drink,  and  put  aside 
The  thought  of  my  misfortunes  till  itself 
Be  satiate.  But,  ye  princes,  with  the  dawn  265 
Provide  for  me,  in  my  calamity, 

The  means  to  reach  again  my  native  land. 

For,  after  all  my  hardships,  I  would  die 
Willingly,  could  I  look  on  my  estates, 

My  servants,  and  my  lofty  halls  once  more.,,  270 
He  ended  ;  they  approved  his  words,  and  bade 
Set  forward  on  his  homeward  way  the  guest 
Who  spake  so  wisely.  When  they  all  had  made 
Libations  and  had  drunk,  they  each  withdrew 
To  sleep  at  home,  and  left  the  noble  chief  275 

Ulysses  in  the  palace,  where  with  him 
Arete  and  her  godike  husband  sat, 

While  from  the  feast  the  maidens  bore  away 
The  chargers.  The  white-armed  Arete  then 
Began  to  speak ;  for  when  she  cast  her  eyes  2S0 
On  the  fair  garments  which  Ulysses  wore, 

7 


VOL.  I. 


J 


146 


The  Odyssey. 


She  knew  the  mantle  and  the  tunic  well, 

Wrought  by  herself  and  her  attendant  maids, 

And  thus  with  winged  words  bespake  the  chief :  — 

“  Stranger,  I  first  must  ask  thee  who  thou  art,  285 
And  of  what  race  of  men.  From  whom  hast  thou 
Received  those  garments  ?  Sure  thou  dost  not  say 
That  thou  art  come  from  wandering  o’er  the  sea.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  thus  :  — 

“  ’T  were  hard,  O  sovereign  lady,  to  relate  290 

In  order  all  my  sufferings,  for  the  gods 
Of  heaven  have  made  them  many ;  yet  will  I 
Tell  all  thou  askest  of  me,  and  obey 
Thy  bidding.  Far  within  the  ocean  lies 
An  island  named  Ogygia,  where  abides  295 

Calypso,  artful  goddess,  with  bright  locks, 

Daughter  of  Atlas,  and  of  dreaded  power. 

No  god  consorts  with  her,  nor  any  one 
Of  mortal  birth.  But  me  in  my  distress 
Some  god  conveyed  alone  to  her  abode,  30c 

When,  launching  his  white  lightning,  Jupiter 
Had  cloven  in  the  midst  of  the  black  sea 
My  galley.  There  my  gallant  comrades  all 
Perished,  but  I  in  both  my  arms  held  fast 
The  keel  of  my  good  ship,  and  floated  on  3°s 

Nine  days  till,  on  the  tenth,  in  the  dark  night, 

The  gods  had  brought  me  to  Ogygia’s  isle, 

Where  dwells  Calypso  of  the  radiant  hair 
And  dreaded  might,  who  kindly  welcomed  me, 

And  cherished  me,  and  would  have  made  my  life  310 


Book  VII. 


1 4  7 

Immortal,  and  beyond  the  power  of  age 
In  all  the  coming  time.  And  there  I  wore 
Seven  years  away,  still  moistening  with  my  tears 
The  ambrosial  raiment  which  the  goddess  gave. 

But  when  the  eighth  year  had  begun  its  round  31s 
She  counselled  my  departure,  whether  Jove 
Had  so  required,  or  she  herself  had  changed 
Her  purpose.  On  a  raft  made  strong  with  clamps 
She  placed  me,  sent  on  board  an  ample  store 
Of  bread  and  pleasant  wine,  and  made  me  put  3=° 
Ambrosial  garments  on,  and  gave  a  soft 
And  favorable  wind.  For  seventeen  days 
I  held  my  steady  course  across  the  deep, 

And  on  the  eighteenth  day  the  shadowy  heights 

Of  your  own  isle  appeared,  and  then  my  heart,  3=5 

Ill-fated  as  I  was,  rejoiced.  Yet  still 

Was  I  to  struggle  with  calamities 

Sent  by  earth-shaking  Neptune,  who  called  up 

The  winds  against  me,  and  withstood  my  way, 

And  stirred  the  boundless  ocean  to  its  depths.  330 
Nor  did  the  billows  suffer  me  to  keep 
My  place,  but  swept  me,  groaning,  from  the  raft, 
Whose  planks  they  scattered.  Still  I  labored  through 
The  billowy  depth,  and  swam,  till  wind  and  wave 
Drove  me  against  your  coast.  As  there  I  sought  335 
To  land,  I  found  the  surges  hurrying  me 
Against  huge  rocks  that  lined  the  frightful  shore ; 
But,  turning  back,  I  swam  again  and  reached 
A  river  and  the  landing-place  I  wished, 


148 


The  Odyssey. 


Smooth,  without  rocks,  and  sheltered  from  the  wind. 
I  swooned,  but  soon  revived.  Ambrosial  night  341 
Came  on.  I  left  the  Jove-descended  stream 
And  slept  among  the  thickets,  drawing  round 
My  limbs  the  withered  leaves,  while  on  my  lids 
A  deity  poured  bounteously  the  balm  345 

Of  slumber.  All  night  long,  among  the  leaves, 

I  slept,  with  all  that  sorrow  in  my  heart, 

Till  morn,  till  noon.  Then  as  the  sun  went  down 
The  balmy  slumber  left  me,  and  I  saw 
Thy  daughter’s  handmaids  sporting  on  the  shore,  350 
And  her  among  them,  goddess-like.  To  her 
I  came  a  suppliant,  nor  did  she  receive 
My  suit  unkindly  as  a  maid  so  young 
Might  do,  for  youth  is  foolish.  She  bestowed 
Food  and  red  wine  abundantly,  and  gave,  35s 

When  I  had  bathed,  the  garments  I  have  on. 

Thus  is  my  tale  of  suffering  truly  told.” 

And  then  Alcinoiis  answered  him  and  said  :  — 

“  Stranger,  one  duty  hath  my  child  o’erlooked,  — 
To  bid  thee  follow  hither  with  her  maids,  360 

Since  thou  didst  sue  to  her  the  first  of  all.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  thus  replied  :  — 

“  Blame  not  for  that,  O  hero,  I  entreat, 

Thy  faultless  daughter.  She  commanded  me 
To  follow  with  her  maids,  but  I  refrained  36s 

For  fear  and  awe  of  thee,  lest,  at  the  sight, 

Thou  mightest  be  displeased  ;  for  we  are  prone 
To  dark  misgivings,  —  we,  the  sons  of  men.” 


Book  VII . 


149 


Again  Alcinoiis  spake  :  “  The  heart  that  beats 
Within  my  bosom  is  not  rashly  moved  370 

To  wrath,  and  better  is  the  temperate  mood. 

This  must  I  say,  O  Father  Jupiter, 

And  Pallas  and  Apollo  !  I  could  wish 
That,  being  as  thou  art,  and  of  like  mind 
With  me,  thou  wouldst  receive  to  be  thy  bride  37s 
My  daughter,  and  be  called  my  son-in-law, 

And  here  abide.  A  palace  I  would  give, 

And  riches,  shouldst  thou  willingly  remain. 

Against  thy  will  let  no  Phaeacian  dare 

To  keep  thee  here.  May  Father  Jove  forbid!  38° 

And  that  thou  mayst  be  sure  of  my  intent, 

I  name  to-morrow  for  thy  voyage  home. 

Sleep  in  thy  bed  till  then ;  and  they  shall  row 
O’er  the  calm  sea  thy  galley,  till  thou  come 
To  thine  own  land  and  home,  or  wheresoe’er  38s 
Thou  wilt,  though  further  off  the  coast  should  be 
Than  far  Eubcea,  most  remote  of  lands,  — 

So  do  the  people  of  our  isle  declare, 

Who  saw  it  when  they  over  sea  conveyed 
The  fair-haired  Rhadamanthus,  on  his  way  390 
To  visit  Tityus,  son  of  Earth.  They  went 
Thither,  accomplishing  with  little  toil 
Their  voyage  in  the  compass  of  a  day, 

And  brought  the  hero  to  our  isle  again. 

Now  shalt  thou  learn,  and  in  thy  heart  confess,  39s 
How  much  our  galleys  and  our  youths  excel 
With  bladed  oars  to  stir  the  whirling  brine.” 


ISO 


The  Odyssey. 


So  spake  the  king,  and  the  great  sufferer 
Ulysses  heard  with  gladness,  and  preferred 
A  prayer,  and  called  on  Jupiter  and  said  : —  400 

“Grant,  Father  Jove,  that  all  the  king  has  said 
May  be  fulfilled  !  so  shall  his  praise  go  forth 
Over  the  foodful  earth,  and  never  die, 

And  I  shall  see  my  native  land  again.” 

So  they  conferred.  White-armed  Arete  spake,  405 
And  bade  her  maidens  in  the  portico 
Place  couches,  and  upon  them  lay  fair  rugs 
Of  purple  dye,  and  tapestry  on  these, 

And  for  the  outer  covering  shaggy  cloaks. 

Forth  from  the  hall  they  issued,  torch  in  hand ;  410 
And  when  with  speed  the  ample  bed  was  made, 
They  came  and  summoned  thus  the  chief  to  rest :  — 
“  Rise,  stranger,  go  to  rest ;  thy  bed  is  made.” 
Thus  spake  the  maidens,  and  the  thought  of  sleep 
Was  welcome  to  Ulysses.  So  that  night  415 

On  his  deep  couch  the  noble  sufferer 
Slumbered  beneath  the  sounding  portico. 

Alcinoiis  laid  him  down  in  a  recess 
Within  his  lofty  palace,  near  to  whom 
The  queen  his  consort  graced  the  marriage-bed. 


420 


Book  VIII. 


I5i 


BOOK  VIII. 

WHEN  Morn  appeared,  the  rosy-fingered  child 
Of  Dawn,  Alcinoiis,  mighty  and  revered, 
Rose  from  his  bed.  Ulysses,  noble  chief, 

Spoiler  of  cities,  also  left  his  couch. 

Alcinoiis,  mighty  and  revered,  went  forth  5 

Before,  and  led  him  to  the  market-place 
Of  the  Phaeacians,  built  beside  the  fleet, 

And  there  on  polished  stones  they  took  their  seats 
Near  to  each  other.  Pallas,  who  now  seemed 
A  herald  of  the  wise  Alcinoiis,  went  10 

Through  all  the  city,  planning  how  to  send 
Magnanimous  Ulysses  to  his  home, 

And  came  and  stood  by  every  chief  and  said  :  — 

“  Leaders  and  chiefs  of  the  Phaeacians,  come 
Speedily  to  the  market-place,  and  there  15 

Hear  of  the  stranger  who  from  wandering  o’er 
The  deep  has  come  where  wise  Alcinoiis  holds 
His  court ;  in  aspect  he  is  like  the  gods.” 

She  spake,  and  every  mind  and  heart  was  moved, 
And  all  the  market-place  and  all  its  seats  ™ 

Were  quickly  filled  with  people.  Many  gazed, 
Admiring,  on  Laertes’  well-graced  son  ; 

For  on  his  face  and  form  had  Pallas  shed 
A  glory,  and  had  made  him  seem  more  tall 
And  of  an  ampler  bulk,  that  he  might  find  «s 

Favor  with  the  Phaeacians,  and  be  deemed 


152 


The  Odyssey. 


Worthy  of  awe  and  able  to  achieve 

The  many  feats  which  the  Phasacian  chiefs, 

To  try  the  stranger’s  prowess,  might  propose. 

And  now  when  all  the  summoned  had  arrived,  30 
Alcinoiis  to  the  full  assembly  spake  :  — 

“  Princes  and  chiefs  of  the  Phaeacians,  hear  : 

I  speak  the  promptings  of  my  heart.  This  guest  — 
I  know  him  not — •  has  come  to  my  abode, 

A  wanderer,  —  haply  from  the  tribes  who  dwell  35 
In  the  far  East,  or  haply  from  the  West,  — 

And  asked  an  escort  and  safe-conduct  home; 

And  let  us  make  them  ready,  as  our  wont 

Has  ever  been.  No  stranger  ever  comes 

Across  my  threshold  who  is  suffered  long  40 

To  pine  for  his  departure.  Let  us  draw 

A  dark-hulled  ship  down  to  the  holy  sea 

On  her  first  voyage.  Let  us  choose  her  crew 

Among  the  people,  two-and-fifty  youths 

Of  our  best  seamen.  Then  make  fast  the  oars  45 

Beside  the  benches,  leave  them  there,  and  come 

Into  our  palace  and  partake  in  haste 

A  feast  which  I  will  liberally  spread 

Lor  all  of  you.  This  I  command  the  youths  : 

But  you,  ye  sceptred  princes,  come  at  once  5° 

To  my  fair  palace,  that  we  there  may  pay 
The  honors  due  our  guest ;  let  none  refuse. 

Call  also  the  divine  Demodocus, 

The  bard,  on  whom  a  deity  bestowed 
In  ample  measure  the  sweet  gift  of  song, 


53 


Book  BUI. 


153 


Delightful  when  the  spirit  prompts  the  lay.” 

He  spake,  and  led  the  way ;  the  sceptred  train 
Of  princes  followed  him.  The  herald  sought 
Meantime  the  sacred  bard.  The  chosen  youths 
Fifty-and-two  betook  them  to  the  marge  60 

Of  the  unfruitful  sea  ;  and  when  they  reached 
The  ship  and  beach  they  drew  the  dark  hull  down 
To  the  deep  water,  put  the  mast  on  board 
And  the  ship’s  sails,  and  fitted  well  the  oars 
Into  the  leathern  rings,  and,  having  moored  65 
Their  bark  in  the  deep  water,  went  with  speed 
To  their  wise  monarch  in  his  spacious  halls. 

There  portico  and  court  and  hall  were  thronged 
With  people,  young  and  old  in  multitude ; 

And  there  Alcinoiis  sacrificed  twelve  sheep,  70 
Eight  white-toothed  swine,  and  two  splay-footed 
beeves. 

And  these  they  flayed,  and  duly  dressed,  and  made 
A  noble  banquet  ready.  Then  appeared 
The  herald,  leading  the  sweet  singer  in, 

Him  whom  the  Muse  with  an  exceeding  love  75 
Had  cherished,  and  had  visited  with  good 
And  evil,  quenched  his  eyesight  and  bestowed 
Sweetness  of  song.  Pontonoiis  mid  the  guests 
Placed  for  the  bard  a  silver-studded  throne, 

Against  a  lofty  column  hung  his  harp  80 

Above  his  head,  and  taught  him  how  to  find 
And  take  it  down.  Near  him  the  herald  set 
A  basket  and  fair  table,  and  a  cup 
<1  % 


154 


The  Odyssey. 


Of  wine,  that  he  might  drink  when  he  desired ; 
Then  all  put  forth  their  hands  and  shared  the  feast.  ss 

And  when  their  thirst  and  hunger  were  allayed, 
The  Muse  inspired  the  bard  to  sing  the  praise 
Of  heroes  ;  ’t  was  a  song  whose  fame  had  reached 
To  the  high  heaven,  a  story  of  the  strife 
Between  Ulysses  and  Achilles,  son  90 

Of  Peleus,  wrangling  at  a  solemn  feast 
Made  for  the  gods.  They  strove  with  angry  words, 
And  Agamemnon,  king  of  men,  rejoiced 
To  hear  the  noblest  of  the  Achaian  host 
Contending  •  for  all  this  had  been  foretold  95 

To  him  in  sacred  Pythia  by  the  voice 
Of  Phcebus,  when  the  monarch  to  inquire 
At  the  oracle  had  crossed  the  rock  which  formed 
Its  threshold.  Then  began  the  train  of  woes 
Which  at  the  will  of  sovereign  Jupiter  100 

Befell  the  sons  of  Ilium  and  of  Greece. 

So  sang  renowned  Demodocus.  Meanwhile 
Ulysses  took  into  his  brawny  hands 
An  ample  veil  of  purple,  drawing  it 
Around  his  head  to  hide  his  noble  face,  105 

Ashamed  that  the  Phaeacians  should  behold 
The  tears  that  flowed  so  freely  from  his  lids. 

But  when  the  sacred  bard  had  ceased  his  song, 

He  wiped  the  tears  away  and  laid  the  veil 
Aside,  and  took  a  double  beaker  filled 
With  wine,  and  poured  libations  to  the  gods. 

Yet  when  again  the  minstrel  sang,  and  all 


Book  VIII. 


155 


The  chiefs  of  the  Phaeacian  people,  charmed 
To  hear  his  music,  bade  the  strain  proceed, 

Again  Ulysses  hid  his  face  and  wept.  115 

No  other  eye  beheld  the  tears  he  shed. 

Alcinoiis  only  watched  him,  and  perceived 
His  grief,  and  heard  the  sighs  he  drew,  and  spake 
To  the  Phaeacians,  lovers  of  the  sea  :  — 

“  Now  that  we  all,  to  our  content,  have  shared  120 
The  feast  and  heard  the  harp,  whose  notes  so  well 
Suit  with  a  liberal  banquet,  let  us  forth 
And  try  our  skill  in  games,  that  this  our  guest, 
Returning  to  his  country,  may  relate 
How  in  the  boxing  and  the  wrestling  match,  125 
In  leaping  and  in  running,  we  excel.” 

He  spake,  and  went  before  ;  they  followed  him. 
Then  did  the  herald  hang  the  clear-toned  harp 
Again  on  high,  and  taking  by  the  hand 
Demodocus,  he  led  him  from  the  place,  r3o 

Guiding  him  in  the  way  which  just  before 
The  princes  of  Phaeacia  trod  to  see 
The  public  games.  Into  the  market-place 
They  went ;  a  vast  innumerable  crowd 
Pressed  after.  Then  did  many  a  valiant  youth  135 
Arise,  —  Acroneus  and  Ocyalus, 

Elatreus,  Nauteus,  Prymneus,  after  whom 
Upstood  Anchialus,  and  by  his  side 
Eretmeus,  Ponteus,  Proreus,  Thoon,  rose  ; 
Anabasineiis  and  Amphialus,  uo 

A  son  of  Polyneius,  Tecton’s  son ; 


T5  6 


The  Odyssey. 


Then  rose  the  son  of  Naubolus,  like  Mars 
In  warlike  port,  Euryalus  by  name, 

And  goodliest  both  in  feature  and  in  form 
Of  all  Phaeacia’s  sons  save  one  alone,  145 

Laodamas  the  faultless.  Next  three  sons 
Of  King  Alcinoiis  rose  :  Laodamas, 

Halius,  and  Clytoneius,  like  a  god 
In  aspect.  Some  of  these  began  the  games, 
Contending  in  the  race.  For  them  a  course  iso 
Was  marked  from  goal  to  goal.  They  darted  forth 
At  once  and  swiftly,  raising,  as  they  ran, 

The  dust  along  the  plain.  The  swiftest  there 
Was  Clytoneius  in  the  race.  As  far 
As  mules,  in  furrowing  the  fallow  ground,  iss 

Gain  on  the  steers,  he  ran  before  the  rest, 

And  reached  the  crowd,  and  left  them  all  behind. 
Others  in  wrestling  strove  laboriously,  — 

And  here  Euryalus  excelled  them  all ; 

But  in  the  leap  Amphialus  was  first ;  160 

Elatreus  flung  the  quoit  with  firmest  hand  ; 

And  in  the  boxer’s  art  Laodamas, 

The  monarch’s  valiant  son,  was  conqueror. 

This  when  the  admiring  multitude  had  seen, 
Thus  spake  the  monarch’s  son,  Laodamas  : —  165 

“  And  now,  my  friends,  inquire  we  of  our  guest 
If  he  has  learned  and  practised  feats  like  these. 

For  he  is  not  ill-made  in  legs  and  thighs 

And  in  both  arms,  in  firmly  planted  neck 

And  strong-built  frame  ;  nor  does  he  seem  to  lack  17° 


Book  VIII. 


1 57 


A  certain  youthful  vigor,  though  impaired 
By  many  hardships,  —  for  I  know  of  naught 
That  more  severely  tries  the  strongest  man, 

And  breaks  him  down,  than  perils  of  the  sea.” 

Euryalus  replied  :  “  Laodamas,  I7S 

Well  hast  thou  said,  and  rightly :  go  thou  now 
And  speak  to  him  thyself,  and  challenge  him.” 

The  son  of  King  Alcinoiis,  as  he  heard, 

Came  forward,  and  bespake  Ulysses  thus  :  — 

“  Thou  also,  guest  and  father,  try  these  feats,  iso 
If  thou  perchance  wert  trained  to  them.  I  think 
Thou  must  be  skilled  in  games,  since  there  is  not 
A  greater  glory  for  a  man  while  yet 
He  lives  on  earth  than  what  he  hath  wrought  out, 
By  strenuous  effort,  with  his  feet  and  hands.  185 
Try,  then,  thy  skill,  and  give  no  place  to  grief. 

Not  long  will  thy  departure  be  delayed  ; 

Thy  bark  is  launched  ;  the  crew  are  ready  here.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  thus  :  — 

“  Why  press  me,  O  Laodamas  !  to  try  19° 

These  feats,  when  all  my  thoughts  are  of  my  woes, 
And  not  of  games  ?  I,  who  have  borne  so  much 
Of  pain  and  toil,  sit  pining  for  my  home 
In  your  assembly,  supplicating  here 
Your  king  and  all  the  people  of  your  land.”  19s 
Then  spake  Euryalus  with  chiding  words  :  — 

“  Stranger,  I  well  perceive  thou  canst  not  boast, 

As  many  others  can,  of  skill  in  games  ; 

But  thou  art  one  of  those  who  dwell  in  ships 


The  Odyssey . 


158 

With  many  benches,  rulers  o’er  a  crew  200 

Of  sailors,  —  a  mere  trader  looking  out 
For  freight,  and  watching  o’er  the  wares  that  form 
The  cargo.  Thou  hast  doubtless  gathered  wealth 
By  rapine,  and  art  surely  no  athlete.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  frowned  and  said  :  —  205 
“  Stranger,  thou  speakest  not  becomingly, 

But  like  a  man  who  recks  not  what  he  says. 

The  gods  bestow  not  equally  on  all 

The  gifts  that  men  desire,  —  the  grace  of  form, 

The  mind,  the  eloquence.  One  man  to  sight  210 
Is  undistinguished,  but  on  him  the  gods 
Bestow  the  power  of  words.  All  look  on  him 
Gladly  ;  he  knows  whereof  he  speaks  ;  his  speech 
Is  mild  and  modest ;  he  is  eminent 
In  all  assemblies,  and,  whene’er  he  walks  215 

The  city,  men  regard  him  as  a  god. 

Another  in  the  form  he  wears  is  like 

The  immortals,  yet  has  he  no  power  to  speak 

Becoming  words.  So  thou  hast  comely  looks,  — 

A  god  would  not  have  shaped  thee  otherwise  220 
Than  we  behold  thee,  —  yet  thy  wit  is  small, 

And  thy  unmannerly  words  have  angered  me 
Even  to  the  heart.  Not  quite  unskilled  am  I 
In  games,  as  thou  dost  idly  talk,  and  once, 

When  I  could  trust  my  youth  and  my  strong  arms,  225 
I  think  that  in  these  contests  I  was  deemed 
Among  the  first.  But  I  am  now  pressed  down 
With  toil  and  sorrow  ;  much  have  I  endured 


Book  VIII. 


159 


In  wars  with  heroes  and  on  stormy  seas. 

Yet  even  thus,  a  sufferer  as  I  am,  230 

Will  I  essay  these  feats ;  for  sharp  have  been 
Thy  words,  and  they  provoke  me  to  the  proof.” 

He  spake,  and  rising  with  his  mantle  on 
He  seized  a  broader,  thicker,  heavier  quoit, 

By  no  small  odds,  than  the  Phseacians  used,  233 
And  swinging  it  around  with  vigorous  arm 
He  sent  it  forth  ;  it  sounded  as  it  went ; 

And  the  Phaeacians,  skilful  with  the  oar 
And  sail,  bent  low  as  o’er  them,  from  his  hand, 
Flew  the  swift  stone  beyond  the  other  marks.  240 
And  Pallas,  in  a  human  form,  set  up 
A  mark  where  it  descended,  and  exclaimed  :  — 

“  Stranger  !  a  blind  man,  groping  here,  could  find 
Thy  mark  full  easily,  since  it  is  not 
Among  the  many,  but  beyond  them  all.  243 

Then  fear  thou  nothing  in  this  game  at  least ; 

For  no  Phaeacian  here  can  throw  the  quoit 
As  far  as  thou,  much  less  exceed  thy  cast.” 

She  spake  ;  Ulysses  the  great  sufferer 
Heard,  and  rejoiced  to  know  he  had  a  friend  250 
In  that  great  circle.  With  a  lighter  heart 
Thus  said  the  chief  to  the  Phaeacian  crowd  :  — 

“  Follow  that  cast,  young  men,  and  I  will  send 
Another  stone,  at  once,  as  far,  perchance, 

Or  further  still.  If  there  are  others  yet  255 

Who  feel  the  wish,  let  them  come  forward  here,  — 
For  much  your  words  have  chafed  me,  —  let  them  try 


1 60  The  Odyssey. 

With  me  the  boxing  or  the  wrestling  match, 

Or  foot-race  ;  there  is  naught  that  I  refuse,  — 
Any  of  the  Phaeacians.  I  except 
Laodamas  ;  he  is  my  host,  and  who 
Would  enter  such  a  contest  with  a  friend? 

A  senseless,  worthless  man  is  he  who  seeks 
A  strife  like  this  with  one  who  shelters  him 
In  a  strange  land  ;  he  mars  the  welcome  given. 
As  for  the  rest,  there  is  no  rival  here 
Whom  I  reject  or  scorn  ;  for  I  would  know 
Their  prowess,  and  would  try  my  own  with  theirs 
Before  you  all.  At  any  of  the  games 
Practised  among  mankind  I  am  not  ill, 

Whatever  they  may  be.  The  polished  bow 
I  well  know  how  to  handle.  I  should  be 
The  first  to  strike  a  foe  by  arrows  sent 
Among  a  hostile  squadron,  though  there  stood 
A  crowd  of  fellow-warriors  by  my  side 
And  also  aimed  their  shafts.  The  only  one 
Whose  skill  in  archery  excelled  my  own, 

When  we  Achaians  drew  the  bow  at  Troy, 

Was  Philoctetes ;  to  all  other  men 
On  earth  that  live  by  bread  I  hold  myself 
Superior.  Yet  I  claim  no  rivalry 
With  men  of  ancient  times,  —  with  Hercules 
And  Eurytus  the  CEchalian,  who  defied 
The  immortals  to  a  contest  with  the  bow. 
Therefore  was  mighty  Eurytus  cut  off. 

Apollo,  angry  to  be  challenged,  slew 


Book  VIII. 


161 


The  hero.  I  can  hurl  a  spear  beyond 
Where  others  send  an  arrow.  All  my  fear 
Is  for  my  feet,  so  weakened  have  I  been 
Among  the  stormy  waves  with  want  of  food  290 
At  sea,  and  thus  my  limbs  have  lost  their  strength.” 

He  ended  here,  and  all  the  assembly  sat 
In  silence  ;  King  Alcinoiis  only  spake  :  — 

“  Stranger,  since  thou  dost  speak  without  offence, 
And  but  to  assert  the  prowess  of  thine  arm,  295 
Indignant  that  amid  the  public  games 
This  man  should  rail  at  thee,  and  since  thy  wish 
Is  only  that  all  others  who  can  speak 
Becomingly  may  not  in  time  to  come 
Dispraise  that  prowess,  now,  then,  heed  my  words,  300 
And  speak  of  them  within  thy  palace  halls 
To  other  heroes  when  thou  banquetest 
Beside  thy  wife  and  children,  and  dost  think 
Of  things  that  we  excel  in,  —  arts  which  Jove 
Gives  us,  transmitted  from  our  ancestors.  305 

In  boxing  and  in  wrestling  small  renown 
Have  we,  but  we  are  swift  of  foot ;  we  guide 
Our  galleys  bravely  o’er  the  deep ;  we  take 
Delight  in  feasts  ;  we  love  the  harp,  the  dance, 

And  change  of  raiment,  the  warm  bath  and  bed.  310 
Rise,  then,  Phaeacian  masters  of  the  dance, 

And  tread  your  measures,  that  our  guest  may  tell 
His  friends  at  home  how  greatly  we  surpass 
All  other  men  in  seamanship,  the  race, 

The  dance,  the  art  of  song.  Go,  one  of  you,  315 


K 


The  Odyssey . 


162 

And  bring  Demodocus  his  clear-toned  harp, 

That  somewhere  in  our  palace  has  been  left.” 

Thus  spake  the  godlike  king.  The  herald  rose 
To  bring  the  sweet  harp  from  the  royal  house. 

Then  the  nine  umpires  also  rose,  who  ruled  320 
The  games  ;  they  smoothed  the  floor,  and  made  the 
ring 

Of  gazers  wider.  Next  the  herald  came, 

And  brought  Demodocus  the  clear-toned  harp. 

The  minstrel  went  into  the  midst,  and  there 
Gathered  the  graceful  dancers  ;  they  were  youths  325 
In  life’s  first  bloom.  With  even  steps  they  smote 
The  sacred  floor.  Ulysses,  gazing,  saw 
The  twinkle  of  their  feet  and  was  amazed. 

The  minstrel  struck  the  chords  and  gracefully 
Began  the  lay  :  he  sang  the  loves  of  Mars  330 

And  Venus  of  the  glittering  crown,  who  first 
Had  met  each  other  stealthily  beneath 
The  roof  of  Vulcan.  Mars  with  many  gifts 
Won  her,  and  wronged  her  spouse,  the  King  of  Fire  ; 
But  from  the  Sun,  who  saw  their  guilt,  there  came  335 
A  messenger  to  Vulcan.  When  he  heard 
The  unwelcome  tidings,  planning  his  revenge, 

He  hastened  to  his  smithy,  where  he  forged 
Chains  that  no  power  might  loosen  or  might  break, 
Made  to  hold  fast  forever.  When  the  snare  340 
In  all  its  parts  was  finished,  he  repaired, 

Angry  with  Mars,  to  where  the  marriage-bed 
Stood  in  his  chamber.  To  the  posts  he  tied 


Book  VIII. 


163 


The  encircling  chains  on  every  side,  and  made 
Fast  to  the  ceiling  many,  like  the  threads  345 

Spun  by  the  spider,  which  no  eye  could  see, 

Not  even  of  the  gods,  so  artfully 
He  wrought  them.  Then,  as  soon  as  he  had  wrapped 
The  snare  about  the  bed,  he  feigned  to  go 
To  Lemnos  nobly  built,  most  dear  to  him  35° 

Of  all  the  lands.  But  Mars,  the  god  who  holds 
The  shining  reins,  had  kept  no  careless  watch, 

And  when  he  saw  the  great  artificer 
Depart  he  went  with  speed  to  Vulcan’s  house, 
Drawn  thither  by  the  love  of  her  who  wears  355 
The  glittering  crown.  There  Cytherea  sat, 

Arrived  that  moment  from  a  visit  paid. 

Entering,  he  took  her  by  the  hand  and  said  :  — 

“  Come,  my  beloved,  let  us  to  the  couch. 

Vulcan  is  here  no  longer;  he  is  gone,  360 

And  is  among  the  Sintians,  men  who  speak 
A  barbarous  tongue,  in  Lemnos  far  away.” 

He  spake,  and  she  approved  his  words,  and  both 
Lay  down  upon  the  bed,  when  suddenly 
The  network,  wrought  by  Vulcan’s  skilful  hand,  365 
Caught  them,  and  clasped  them  round,  nor  could 
they  lift 

Or  move  a  limb,  and  saw  that  no  escape 
Was  possible.  And  now  approached  the  King 
Of  Fire,  returning  ere  he  reached  the  isle 
Of  Lemnos,  for  the  Sun  in  his  behalf  370 

Kept  watch  and  told  him  all.  He  hastened  home 


The  Odyssey. 


164 

In  bitterness  of  heart,  but  when  he  reached 
The  threshold  stopped.  A  fury  without  bounds 
Possessed  him,  and  he  shouted  terribly, 

And  called  aloud  on  all  the  gods  of  heaven  :  —  37s 

“  O  Father  Jove,  and  all  ye  blessed  ones, 

And  deathless !  Come,  for  here  is  what  will  move 
Your  laughter,  yet  is  not  to  be  endured. 

Jove’s  daughter,  Venus,  thus  dishonors  me, 

Lame  as  I  am,  and  loves  the  butcher  Mars ;  380 

For  he  is  well  to  look  at,  and  is  sound 
Of  foot,  while  I  am  weakly,  —  but  for  this 
Are  none  but  my  two  parents  to  be  blamed, 

Who  never  should  have  given  me  birth.  Behold 
Where  lie  embraced  the  lovers  in  my  bed,  —  38s 

A  hateful  sight.  Yet  they  will  hardly  take 
Even  a  short  slumber  there,  though  side  by  side, 
Enamored  as  they  are  ;  nor  will  they  both 
Be  drowsy  very  soon.  The  net  and  chains 
Will  hold  them  till  her  father  shall  restore  390 

All  the  large  gifts  which,  on  our  marriage-day, 

I  gave  him  to  possess  the  impudent  minx 
His  daughter,  who  is  fair,  indeed,  but  false.” 

He  spake,  and  to  the  brazen  palace  flocked 
The  gods  ;  there  Neptune  came,  who  shakes  the 
earth ;  39s 

There  came  beneficent  Hermes ;  there  too  came 
Apollo,  archer-god  ;  the  goddesses, 

Through  womanly  reserve,  remained  at  home. 
Meantime  the  gods,  the  givers  of  all  good, 


Book  VIII. 


165; 


Stood  in  the  entrance  ;  and  as  they  beheld  400, 
The  cunning  snare  of  Vulcan,  there  arose 
Infinite  laughter  from  the  blessed  ones, 

And  one  of  them  bespake  his  neighbor  thus  :  — 
“Wrong  prospers  not ;  the  slow  o’ertakes  the 
swift. 

Vulcan  the  slow  has  trapped  the  fleetest  god  405 
Upon  Olympus,  Mars ;  though  lame  himself, 

His  net  has  taken  the  adulterer, 

Who  now  must  pay  the  forfeit  of  his  crime.” 

So  talked  they  with  each  other.  Then  the  son 
Of  Jove,  Apollo,  thus  to  Hermes  said  :  —  410 

“  Hermes,  thou  son  and  messenger  of  Jove, 

And  bountiful  of  gifts,  couldst  thou  endure, 

Fettered  with  such  strong  chains  as  these,  to  lie 
Upon  a  couch  with  Venus  at  thy  side  ?  ” 

The  herald-god,  the  Argus-queller,  thus  41s 

Made  answer  :  “  Nay,  I  would  that  it  were  so, 

O  archer-king,  Apollo  ;  I  could  bear 
Chains  thrice  as  many,  and  of  infinite  strength, 

And  all  the  gods  and  all  the  goddesses 

Might  come  to  look  upon  me,  I  would  keep  420 

My  place  with  golden  Venus  at  my  side.” 

He  spake,  and  all  the  immortals  laughed  to 
hear. 

Neptune  alone  laughed  not,  but  earnestly 
Prayed  Vulcan,  the  renowned  artificer, 

To  set  Mars  free,  and  spake  these  winged  words  : —  4=s 
“  Release  thy  prisoner.  What  thou  dost  require 


The  Odyssey. 


1 66 

I  promise  here,  —  that  he  shall  make  to  thee 
Due  recompense  in  presence  of  the  gods.” 

Illustrious  Vulcan  answered:  “  Do  not  lay, 
Earth-shaking  Neptune,  this  command  on  me,  430 
Since  little  is  the  worth  of  pledges  given 
For  worthless  debtors.  How  could  I  demand 
My  right  from  thee  among  the  assembled  gods, 

If  Mars,  set  free,  escape  from  debt  and  chains  ?  ” 

Again  the  god  who  shakes  the  earth  replied  :  —  43s 
“  Vulcan,  though  Mars  deny  the  forfeit  due, 

And  take  to  flight,  it  shall  be  paid  by  me.” 

Again  illustrious  Vulcan  said  :  u  Thy  word 
I  ought  not  and  I  seek  not  to  decline.” 

He  spake,  and  then  the  might  of  Vulcan  loosed  440 
The  net,  and,  freed  from  those  strong  fetters,  both 
The  prisoners  sprang  away.  Mars  flew  to  Thrace, 
And  laughter-loving  Venus  to  the  isle 
Of  Cyprus,  where  at  Paphos  stand  her  grove 
And  perfumed  altar.  Here  the  Graces  gave  445 
The  bath,  anointed  with  ambrosial  oil 
Her  limbs,  —  such  oil  as  to  the  eternal  gods 
Lends  a  fresh  beauty,  and  arrayed  her  last 
In  graceful  robes,  a  marvel  to  behold. 

So  sang  the  famous  bard,  while  inly  pleased  450 
Ulysses  heard,  and  pleased  were  all  the  rest, 
Phaeacia’s  sons,  expert  with  oar  and  sail. 

Alcinoiis  called  his  sons  Laodamas 
And  Halius  forth,  and  bade  them  dance  alone, 

For  none  of  all  the  others  equalled  them.  455 


Book  VIII. 


1 67 


Then  taking  a  fair  purple  ball,  the  work 
Of  skilful  Polybus,  and,  bending  back, 

One  flung  it  toward  the  shadowy  clouds  on  high, 
The  other  springing  upward  easily 
Grasped  it  before  he  touched  the  ground  again.  460 
And  when  they  thus  had  tossed  the  ball  awhile, 
They  danced  upon  the  nourishing  earth,  and  oft 
Changed  places  with  each  other,  while  the  youths, 
That  stood  within  the  circle  filled  the  air 
With  their  applauses  ;  mighty  was  the  din.  46s 

Then  great  Ulysses  to  Alcinoiis  said  :  — 

“  O  King  Alcinoiis  !  mightiest  of  the  race 
For  whom  thou  hast  engaged  that  they  excel 
All  others  in  the  dance,  what  thou  hast  said 
Is  amply  proved.  I  look  and  am  amazed.”  470 
Well  pleased  Alcinoiis  the  mighty  heard, 

And  thus  to  his  seafaring  people  spake  :  — 

“  Leaders  and  chiefs  of  the  Phaeacians,  hear ! 
Wise  seems  the  stranger.  Haste  we  to  bestow 
Gifts  that  may  well  beseem  his  liberal  hests.  47s 
Twelve  honored  princes  in  our  land  bear  sway, 

The  thirteenth  prince  am  I.  Let  each  one  bring 
A  well-bleached  cloak,  a  tunic,  and  beside 
Of  precious  gold  a  talent  Let  them  all 
Be  brought  at  once,  that,  having  seen  them  here,  480 
Our  guest  may  with  a  cheerful  heart  partake 
The  evening  meal.  And  let  Euryalus, 

Who  spake  but  now  so  unbecomingly, 

Appease  him  both  with  words  and  with  a  gift.” 


The  Odyssey. 


1 68 

He  spake  ;  they  all  approved,  and  each  one  sent  485 
His  herald  with  a  charge  to  bring  the  gifts, 

And  thus  Euryalus  addressed  the  king  :  — 

“  O  King  Alcinoiis,  mightiest  of  our  race, 

I  will  obey  thee,  and  will  seek  to  appease 

Our  guest.  This  sword  of  brass  will  I  bestow,  490 

With  hilt  of  silver,  and  an  ivory  sheath 

New  wrought,  which  he  may  deem  a  gift  of  price.” 

He  spake,  and  gave  the  silver-studded  sword 
Into  his  hand,  and  spake  these  winged  words  :  — 
“Stranger  and  father,  hail!  If  any  word  495 
That  hath  been  uttered  gave  offence,  may  storms 
Sweep  it  away  forever.  May  the  gods 
Give  thee  to  see  thy  wife  again,  and  reach 
Thy  native  land,  where  all  thy  sufferings 
And  this  long  absence  from  thy  friends  shall  end !  ”  500 
Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  thus  replied  :  — 

“  Hail  also,  friend  !  and  may  the  gods  confer 
On  thee  all  happiness,  and  may  the  time 
Never  arrive  when  thou  shalt  miss  the  sword 
Placed  in  my  hands  with  reconciling  words  !  ”  s°s 
He  spake,  and  slung  the  silver-studded  sword 
Upon  his  shoulders.  Now  the  sun  went  down, 

And  the  rich  presents  were  already  brought. 

The  noble  heralds  came  and  carried  them 

Into  the  palace  of  Alcinoiis,  where  5™ 

His  blameless  sons  received  and  ranged  them  all 

In  fair  array  before  the  queenly  dame 

Their  mother.  Meantime  had  the  mighty  king 


Book  VIII. 


169 


Alcinoiis  to  his  palace  led  the  way, 

Where  they  who  followed  took  the  lofty  seats,  515 
And  thus  Alcinoiis  to  Arete  said :  — 

“  Bring  now  a  coffer  hither,  fairly  shaped, 

The  best  we  have,  and  lay  a  well-bleached  cloak 

And  tunic  in  it ;  set  upon  the  fire 

A  brazen  caldron  for  our  guest,  to  warm  52° 

The  water  of  his  bath,  that  having  bathed 

And  viewed  the  gifts  which  the  Phaeacian  chiefs 

Have  brought  him,  ranged  in  order,  he  may  sit 

Delighted  at  the  banquet  and  enjoy 

The  music.  I  will  give  this  beautiful  cup  525 

Of  gold,  that  he,  in  memory  of  me, 

May  daily  in  his  palace  pour  to  Jove 
Libations,  and  to  all  the  other  gods.” 

He  spake  ;  Arete  bade  her  maidens  haste 
To  place  an  ample  tripod  on  the  fire.  530 

Forthwith  upon  the  blazing  fire  they  set 
A  laver  with  three  feet,  and  in  it  poured 
Water,  and  heaped  fresh  fuel  on  the  flames. 

The  flames  crept  up  the  vessel’s  swelling  sides, 

And  warmed  the  water.  Meantime  from  her  room  535 
Arete  brought  a  beautiful  chest,  in  which 
She  laid  the  presents  destined  for  her  guest,  — 
Garments  and  gold  which  the  Phaeacians  gave,  — 
And  laid  the  cloak  and  tunic  with  the  rest, 

And  thus  in  winged  words  addressed  the  chief :  —  540 
“  Look  to  the  lid  thyself,  and  cast  a  cord 
Around  it,  lest,  upon  thy  voyage  home, 
vol.  1.  8 


170 


The  Odyssey. 


Thou  suffer  loss,  when  haply  thou  shalt  take 
A  pleasant  slumber  in  the  dark-hulled  ship.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  heard,  and  straight 
He  fitted  to  its  place  the  lid,  and  wound 
And  knotted  artfully  around  the  chest 
A  cord,  as  queenly  Circe  long  before 
Had  taught  him.  Then  to  call  him  to  the  bath 
The  housewife  of  the  palace  came.  He  saw 
Gladly  the  steaming  laver,  for  not  oft 
Had  he  been  cared  for  thus,  since  he  had  left 
The  dwelling  of  the  nymph  with  amber  hair, 
Calypso,  though  attended  while  with  her 
As,  if  he  were  a  god.  Now  when  the  maids 
Had  seen  him  bathed,  and  had  anointed  him 
With  oil,  and  put  his  sumptuous  mantle  on, 
And  tunic,  forth  he  issued  from  the  bath, 

And  came  to  those  who  sat  before  their  wine. 
Nausicaa,  goddess-like  in  beauty,  stood 
Beside  a  pillar  of  that  noble  roof, 

And  looking  on  Ulysses  as  he  passed, 

Admired,  and  said  to  him  in  winged  words  :  — 

“  Stranger,  farewell,  and  in  thy  native  land 
Remember  thou  hast  owed  thy  life  to  me.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answering  said  :  — 

“  Nausicaa,  daughter  of  the  large-souled  king 
Alcinoiis !  so  may  Jove,  the  Thunderer, 
Husband  of  Juno,  grant  that  I  behold 
My  home,  returning  safe,  as  I  will  make 
To  thee  as  to  a  goddess  day  by  day 


Book  VIII. 


171 


My  prayer ;  for,  lady,  thou  hast  saved  my  life.” 

He  spake,  and  near  Alcinoiis  took  his  place 
Upon  a  throne.  And  now  they  served  the  feast 
To  each,  and  mingled  wine.  A  herald  led  575 
Thither  the  gentle  bard  Demodocus, 

Whom  all  the  people  honored.  Him  they  placed 
Amidst  the  assembly,  where  he  leaned  against 
A  lofty  column.  Sage  Ulysses  then 
Carved  from  the  broad  loin  of  a  white-tusked  boar  580 
A  part,  where  yet  a  mass  of  flesh  remained 
Bordered  with  fat,  and  to  the  herald  said  :  — 

“  Bear  this,  O  herald,  to  Demodocus, 

That  he  may  eat.  Him,  even  in  my  grief, 

Will  I  embrace,  for  worthily  the  bards  585 

Are  honored  and  revered  o’er  all  the  earth 
By  every  race  of  men.  The  Muse  herself 
Hath  taught  them  song;  she  loves  the  minstrel  tribe.” 

He  spake  ;  the  herald  laid  the  flesh  before 
Demodocus  the  hero,  who  received  590 

The  gift  well  pleased.  Then  all  the  guests  put  forth 
Their  hands  and  shared  the  viands  on  the  board ; 
And  when  their  thirst  and  hunger  were  allayed, 
Thus  to  the  minstrel  sage  Ulysses  spake  :  — 

“  Demodocus,  above  all  other  men  -595 

I  give  thee  praise,  for  either  has  the  Muse, 

Jove’s  daughter,  or  Apollo,  visited 
And  taught  thee.  Truly  hast  thou  sung  the  fate 
Of  the  Achaian  warriors,  —  what  they  did 
And  suffered,  —  all  their  labors  as  if  thou 


1/2 


The  Odyssey. 


Hadst  been  among  them,  or  hadst  heard  the  tale 
From  an  eye-witness.  Now,  I  pray,  proceed, 

And  sing  the  invention  of  the  wooden  horse 
Made  by  Epeius  with  Minerva’s  aid, 

And  by  the  chief  Ulysses  artfully  605 

Conveyed  into  the  Trojan  citadel, 

With  armed  warriors  in  its  womb  to  lay 
The  city  waste.  And  I,  if  thou  relate 
The  story  rightly,  will  at  once  declare 
To  all  that  largely  hath  some  bounteous  god 
Bestowed  on  thee  the  holy  gift  of  song.” 

He  spake  ;  the  poet  felt  the  inspiring  god, 

And  sang,  beginning  where  the  Argives  hurled 
Firebrands  among  their  tents,  and  sailed  away 
In  their  good  galleys,  save  the  band  that  sat  6i? 
Beside  renowned  Ulysses  in  the  horse, 

Concealed  from  sight,  amid  the  Trojan  crowd, 

Who  now  had  drawn  it  to  the  citadel. 

So  there  it  stood,  while,  Sitting  round  it,  talked 
The  men  of  Troy,  and  wist  not  what  to  do.  620 
By  turns  three  counsels  pleased  them,  —  to  hew  down 
The  hollow  trunk  with  the  remorseless  steel ; 

Or  drag  it  to  a  height,  and  cast  it  thence 
Headlong  among  the  rocks ;  or,  lastly,  leave 
The  enormous  image  standing  and  unharmed,  625 
An  offering  to  appease  the  gods.  And  this 
At  last  was  done ;  for  so  had  fate  decreed 
That  they  should  be  destroyed  whene’er  their  town 
Should  hold  within  its  walls  the  horse  of  wood, 


Book  VIII 


173 


In  which  the  mightiest  of  the  Argives  came  630 
Among  the  sons  of  Troy  to  smite  and  slay. 

Then  sang  the  bard  how,  issuing  from  the  womb 
Of  that  deceitful  horse,  the  sons  of  Greece 
Laid  Ilium  waste ;  how  each  in  different  ways 
Ravaged  the  town,  while,  terrible  as  Mars,  635 

Ulysses,  joined  with  Menelaus,  sought 
The  palace  of  Deiphobus,  and  there 
Maintained  a  desperate  battle,  till  the  aid 
Of  mighty  Pallas  made  the  victory  his. 

So  sang  renowned  Demodocus  ;  the  strain  e40 
Melted  to  tears  Ulysses,  from  whose  lids 
They  dropped  and  wet  his  cheeks.  As  when  a  wife 
Weeps  her  beloved  husband,  slain  before 
His  town  and  people,  fighting  to  defend 
Them  and  his  own  dear  babes  from  deadly  harm,  645 
She  sees  him  gasp  and  die,  and  at  the  sight 
She  falls  with  piercing  cries  upon  his  corpse, 
Meantime  the  victors  beat  her  on  the  back 
And  shoulders  with  their  spears,  and  bear  her  off 
To  toil  and  grieve  in  slavery,  where  her  cheeks  650 
In  that  long  bitter  sorrow  lose  their  bloom ; 

So  from  the  eyelids  of  Ulysses  fell 
The  tears,  yet  fell  unnoticed  by  them  all 
Save  that  Alcinoiis,  sitting  at  his  side, 

Saw  them,  and  heard  his  heavy  sighs,  and  thus  635 
Bespake  his  people,  masters  of  the  oar  :  — 

“  Princes  and  chiefs  of  the  Phaeaciiin  race, 

Give  ear.  Let  now  Demodocus  lay  by 


174 


The  Odyssey. 


His  clear-toned  harp.  The  matter  of  his  song 
Delights  not  all  alike.  Since  first  we  sat  660 

At  meat,  and  since  our  noble  bard  began 
His  lay,  our  guest  has  never  ceased  to  grieve ; 

Some  mighty  sorrow  weighs  upon  his  heart. 

Now  let  the  bard  refrain,  that  we  may  all 

Enjoy  the  banquet,  both  our  guest  and  we  665 

Who  welcome  him,  for  it  is  fitting  thus. 

And  now  are  all  things  for  our  worthy  guest 
Made  ready,  both  the  escort  and  these  gifts, 

The  pledges  of  our  kind  regard.  A  guest, 

A  suppliant,  is  a  brother,  even  to  him  e70 

Who  bears  a  heart  not  easy  to  be  moved. 

No  longer,  then,  keep  back  with  studied  art 
What  I  shall  ask ;  ’t  were  better  far  to  speak 
With  freedom.  Tell  the  name  thy  mother  gave, 
Thy  father,  and  all  those  who  dwell  within,  e75 
And  round  thy  city.  For  no  living  man 
Is  nameless  from  the  time  that  he  is  born. 

Humble  qr  high  in  station,  at  their  birth 
The  parents  give  them  names.  Declare  thy  land, 
Thy  people,  and  thy  city,  that  our  ships  680 

May  learn,  and  bear  thee  to  the  place ;  for  here 
In  our  Phaeacian  ships  no  pilots  are, 

Nor  rudders,  as  in  ships  of  other  lands. 

Ours  know  the  thoughts  and  the  intents  of  men. 

To  them  all  cities  and  all  fertile  coasts  685 

Inhabited  by  men  are  known  ;  they  cross 
The  great  sea  scudding  fast,  involved  in  mist 


Book  VIII. 


175 


And  darkness,  with  no  fear  of  perishing 
Or  meeting  harm.  I  heard  Nausithoiis, 

My  father,  say  that  Neptune  was  displeased  690 
With  us  for  safely  bearing  to  their  homes 
So  many  men,  and  that  he  would  destroy 
In  after  time  some  good  Phaeacian  ship, 

Returning  from  a  convoy,  in  the  waves 
Of  the  dark  sea,  and  leave  her  planted  there,  695 
.A  mountain  huge  and  high,  before  our  town. 

So  did  the  aged  chieftain  prophesy ; 

The  god,  as  best  may  please  him,  will  fulfil 
My  father’s  words,  or  leave  them  unfulfilled. 

Now  tell  me  truly  whither  thou  hast  roamed,  7°° 
And  what  the  tribes  of  men  that  thou  hast  seen ; 
Tell  which  of  them  are  savage,  rude,  unjust, 

And  which  are  hospitable  and  revere 

The  blessed  gods.  Declare  why  thou  didst  weep 

And  sigh  when  hearing  what  unhappy  fate  705 

Befell  the  Argive  and  Achaian  host 

And  town  of  Troy.  The  gods  decreed  it ;  they 

Ordain  destruction  to  the  sons  of  men, 

A  theme  of  song  thereafter.  Hadst  thou  not 
Some  valiant  kinsman  who  was  slain  at  Troy?  7«> 
A  son-in-law  ?  the  father  of  thy  wife  ? 

Nearest  of  all  are  they  to  us,  save  those 

Of  our  own  blood.  Or  haply  might  it  be 

Some  bosom-friend,  one  eminently  graced 

With  all  that  wins  our  love  ;  for  -not  less  dear  71s 

Than  if  he  were  a  brother  should  we  hold 

The  wise  and  gentle  man  who  is  our  friend.” 


iy6 


The  Odyssey. 


BOOK  IX. 

ULYSSES,  the  sagacious,  answered  thus  :  — 

“  O  King  Alcinoiis,  most  renowned  of  men ! 
A  pleasant  thing  it  is  to  hear  a  bard 
Like  this,  endowed  with  such  a  voice,  so  like 
The  voices  of  the  gods.  Nor  can  I  deem.  5 

Aught  more  delightful  than  the  general  joy 
Of  a  whole  people  when  the  assembled  guests 
Seated  in  order  in  the  royal  halls 
Are  listening  to  the  minstrel,  while  the  board 
Is  spread  with  bread  and  meats,  and  from  the  jars  10 
The  cupbearer  draws  wine  and  fills  the  cups. 

* 

To  me  there  is  no  more  delightful  sight. 

“  But  now  thy  mind  is  moved  to  ask  of  me 

•> 

The  story  of  the  sufferings  I  have  borne, 

And  that  will  wake  my  grief  anew.  What  first,  15 
What  next,  shall  I  relate  ?  what  last  of  all  ? 

For  manifold  are  the  misfortunes  cast 
Upon  me  by  the  immortals.  Let  me  first 
Declare  my  name,  that  ye  may  know,  and  I 
Perchance,  before  my  day  of  death  shall  come, 

May  be  your  host,  though  dwelling  far  away. 

I  am  Ulysses,  and  my  father’s  name 

Laertes  ;  widely  am  I  known  to  men 

As  quick  in  shrewd  devices,  and  my  fame 

Hath  reached  to  heaven.  In  sunny  Ithaca  *5 

I  dwell,  where  high  Neritus,  seen  afar, 


Book  IX. 


1 77 


Rustles  with  woods.  Around  are  many  isles, 

Well  peopled,  near  each  other.  Samos  there 
Lies,  with  Dulichium,  and  Zacynthus  dark 
With  forests.  Ithaca,  with  its  low  shores,  3a 

Lies  highest  toward  the  setting  sun  ;  the  rest 
Are  on  the  side  where  first  the  morning  breaks. 

A  rugged  region ’t  is,  but  nourishes 
Nobly  its  youths,  nor  have  I  ever  seen 
A  sweeter  spot  on  earth.  Calypso  late,  3s 

That  glorious  goddess,  in  her  grotto  long 
Detained  me  from  it,  and  desired  that  I 
Should  be  her  husband  ;  in  her  royal  home 
ZEean  Circe,  mistress  of  strange  arts, 

Detained  me  also,  and  desired  that  I  40 

Should  be  her  husband,  —  yet  they  could  not 
,  move 

The  purpose  of  my  heart.  For  there  is  naught 
More  sweet  and  dear  than  our  own  native  land 
And  parents,  though  perchance  our  lot  be  cast 
In  a  rich  home,  yet  far  from  our  own  kin  45 

And  in  a  foreign  land.  Now  let  me  speak 
Of  the  calamitous  voyage  which  the  will 
Of  Jove  ordained  on  my  return  from  Troy. 

“  The  wind  that  blew  me  from  the  Trojan  shore 
Bore  me  to  the  Ciconians,  who  abode  so 

In  Ismarus.  I  laid  the  city  waste 
And  slew  its  dwellers,  carried  off  their  wives 
And  all  their  wealth  and  parted  them  among 
My  men,  that  none  might  want  an  equal  share. 

8* 


L 


178 


The  Odyssey. 


And  then  I  warned  them  with  all  haste  to  leave  ss 
The  region.  Madmen  !  they  obeyed  me  not. 

“  And  there  they  drank  much  wine,  and  on  the 
beach 

Slew  many  sheep  and  many  slow-paced  steers 
With  crumpled  horns.  Then  the  Ciconians  called 
To  their  Ciconian  neighbors,  braver  men  60 

Than  they,  and  more  in  number,  whose  abode 
Was  on  the  mainland,  trained  to  fight  from  steeds, 
Or,  if  need  were,  on  foot.  In  swarms  they  came, 
Thick  as  new  leaves  or  morning  flowers  in  spring. 
Then  fell  on  our  unhappy  company  65 

An  evil  fate  from  Jove,  and  many  griefs. 

They  formed  their  lines,  and  fought  at  our  good 
ships, 

Where  man  encountered  man  with  brazen  spears. 
While  yet  ’t  was  morning,  and  the  holy  light 
Of  day  waxed  brighter,  we  withstood  the  assault  70 
And  kept  our  ground,  although  more  numerous  they. 
But  when  the  sun  was  sloping  toward  the  west 
The  enemy  prevailed ;  the  Achaian  band 
Was  routed,  and  was  made  to  flee.  That  day 
There  perished  from  each  galley  of  our  fleet  75 
Six  valiant  men ;  the  rest  escaped  with  life. 

“  Onward  we  sailed,  lamenting  bitterly 
Our  comrades  slain,  yet  happy  to  escape 
From  death  ourselves.  Nor  did  we  put  to  sea 
In  our  good  ships  until  we  thrice  had  called  & 
Aloud  by  name  each  one  of  our  poor  friends 


Book  IX. 


179 


Who  fell  in  battle  by  Ciconian  hands. 

The  Cloud-compeller,  Jove,  against  us  sent 
The  north-wind  in  a  hurricane,  and  wrapped 
The  earth  and  heaven  in  clouds,  and  from  the  skies  ss 
Fell  suddenly  the  night.  With  stooping  masts 
Our  galleys  scudded  ;  the  strong  tempest  split 
And  tore  the  sails we  drew  and  laid  them  down 
Within  the  ships,  in  fear  of  utter  wreck, 

And  toward  the  mainland  eagerly  we  turned  90 
The  rudders.  There  we  lay  two  days  and  nights, 
Worn  out  with  grief  and  hardship.  When  at  length 
The  fair-haired  Morning  brought  the  third  day  round, 
We  raised  the  masts,  and,  spreading  the  white  sails 
To  take  the  wind,  we  sat  us  down.  The  wind  95 
Carried  us  forward  with  the  pilot’s  aid  : 

And  then  should  I  have  reached  my  native  land 
Safely,  had  not  the  currents  and  the  waves 
Of  ocean  and  the  north-wind  driven  me  back, 

What  time  I  strove  to  pass  Maleia’s  cape,  100 

And  swept  me  to  Cytherae  from  my  course. 

“  Still  onward  driven  before  those  baleful  winds 
Across  the  fishy  deep  for  nine  whole  days, 

On  the  tenth  day  we  reached  the  land  where  dwell 
The  Lotus-eaters,  men  whose  food  is  flowers.  i°s 
We  landed  on  the  mainland,  and  our  crews 
Near  the  fleet  galleys  took  their  evening  meal. 

And  when  we  all  had  eaten  and  had  drunk 
I  sent  explorers  forth  —  two  chosen  men, 

A  herald  was  the  third  —  to  learn  what  race 


zxo 


i8o 


The  Odyssey , 


Of  mortals  nourished  by  the  fruits  of  earth 
Possessed  the  land.  They  went  and  found  themselves 
Among  the  Lotus-eaters  soon,  who  used 
No  violence  against  their  lives,  but  gave 
Into  their  hands  the  lotus  plant  to  taste.  ns 

Whoever  tasted  once  of  that  sweet  food 
Wished  not  to  see  his  native  country  more, 

Nor  give  his  friends  the  knowledge  of  his  fate. 

And  then  my  messengers  desired  to  dwell 
Among  the  Lotus-eaters,  and  to  feed  '*■ 

Upon  the  lotus,  never  to  return. 

By  force  I  led  them  weeping  to  the  fleet, 

And  bound  them  in  the  hollow  ships  beneath 
The  benches.  Then  I  ordered  all  the  rest 
Of  my  beloved  comrades  to  embark  if 

In  haste,  lest,  tasting  of  the  lotus,  they 
Should  think  no  more  of  home.  All  straightway  went 
On  board,  and  on  the  benches  took  their  place, 
And  smote  the  hoary  ocean  with  their  oars. 

“Onward  we  sailed  with  sorrowing  hearts,  and 
reached  *3° 

The  country  of  the  Cyclops,  an  untamed 
And  lawless  race,  who,  trusting  to  the  gods, 

Plant  not,  nor  plough  the  fields,  but  all  things  spring 
For  them  untended,  —  barley,  wheat,  and  vines 
Yielding  large  clusters  filled  with  wine,  and  nursed  13s 
By  showers  from  J ove.  No  laws  have  they  ;  they  hold 
No  councils.  On  the  mountain  heights  they  dwell 
In  vaulted  caves,  where  each  one  rules  his  wives 


Book  IX. 


1 8  r 


And  children  as  he  pleases ;  none  give  heed 
To  what  the  others  do.  Before  the  port  140 

Of  that  Cyclopean  land  there  is  an  isle, 

Low-lying,  neither  near  nor  yet  remote,  — 

A  woodland  region,  where  the  wild  goats  breed 

Innumerable  ;  for  the  foot  of  man 

Disturbs  them  not,  and  huntsmen  toiling  through  us 

Thick  woods,  or  wandering  over  mountain  heights, 

Enter  not  here.  The  fields  are  never  grazed 

By  sheep,  nor  furrowed  by  the  plough,  but  lie 

Untilled,  unsown,  and  uninhabited 

By  man,  and  only  feed  the  bleating  goats.  15° 

The  Cyclops  have  no  barks  with  crimson  prows, 

Nor  shipwrights  skilled  to  frame  a  galley’s  deck 

With  benches  for  the  rowers,  and  equipped 

For  any  service,  voyaging  by  turns 

To  all  the  cities,  as  is  often  done  iss 

By  men  who  cross  the  deep  from  place  to  place, 

And  make  a  prosperous  region  of  an  isle. 

No  meagre  soil  is  there ;  it  well  might  bear 
All  fruits  in  their  due  time.  Along  the  shore 
Of  the  gray  deep  are  meadows  smooth  and  moist,  ifo 
The  vine  would  flourish  long ;  the  ploughman’s  task 
Is  easy,  and  the  husbandman  would  reap 
Large  harvests,  for  the  mould  is  rich  below. 

And  there  is  a  safe  haven,  where  no  need 
Of  cable  is  ;  no  anchor  there  is  cast,  *5s 

Nor  hawsers  fastened  to  the  strand,  but  they 
Who  enter  there  remain  until  it  please 


182 


The  Odyssey. 


The  mariners,  with  favorable  wind, 

To  put  to  sea  again.  A  limpid  stream 
Flows  from  a  fount  beneath  a  hollow  rock 
Into  that  harbor  at  its  further  end, 

And  poplars  grow  around  it.  Thither  went  j  d 
Our  fleet ;  some  deity  had  guided  us 
Through  the  dark  night,  for  nothing  had  we  seen. 
Thickwas  the  gloom  around  our  barks  ;  the  moon  175 
Shone  not  in  heaven,  the  clouds  had  quenched  her 
light. 

No  eye  discerned  the  isle,  nor  the  long  waves 
That  rolled  against  the  shore,  till  our  good  ships 
Touched  land,  and,  disembarking  there,  we  gave 
Ourselves  to  sleep  upon  the  water-side  iso 

And  waited  for  the  holy  Morn  to  rise. 

“  And  when  at  length  the  daughter  of  the  Dawn, 
The  rosy-fingered  Morn,  appeared,  we  walked 
Around  the  isle,  admiring  as  we  went. 

Meanwhile  the  nymphs,  the  daughters  of  the  God  185 
Who  bears  the  aegis,  roused  the  mountain  goats, 
That  so  our  crews  might  make  their  morning  meal. 
And  straightway  from  our  ships  we  took  in  hand 
Our  crooked  bows  and  our  long-bladed  spears. 

“  c  Let  all  the  rest  of  my  beloved  friends  190 

Remain,  while  I,  with  my  own  bark  and  crew, 

Go  forth  to  learn  what  race  of  men  are  these, 
Whether  ill-mannered,  savage,  and  unjust, 

Or  kind  to  guests  and  reverent  toward  the  gods.’ 

“I  spake,  and,  having  ordered  all  my  crew 


195 


Book  IX. 


183 


To  go  on  board  and  cast  the  hawsers  loose, 
Embarked  on  my  own  ship.  They  all  obeyed, 

And  manned  the  benches,  sitting  there  in  rows, 
And  smote  the  hoary  ocean  with  their  oars. 

But  when  we  came  upon  that  neighboring  coast,  .200 
We  saw  upon  its  verge  beside  the  sea 
A  cave  high  vaulted,  overbrowed  with  shrubs 
Of  laurel.  There  much  cattle  lay  at  rest, 

Both  sheep  and  goats.  Around  it  was  a  court, 

A  high  enclosure  of  hewn  stone,  and  pines  20s 

Tall  stemmed,  and  towering  oaks.  Here  dwelt  a 
man 

Of  giant  bulk,  who  by  himself,  alone, 

Was  wont  to  tend  his  flocks.  He  never  held 
Converse  with  others,  but  devised  apart 
His  wicked  deeds.  A  frightful  prodigy  210 

Was  he,  and  like  no  man  who  lives  by  bread, 

But  more  like  a  huge  mountain  summit,  rough 
With  woods,  that  towers  alone  above  the  rest. 

“  Then,  bidding  all.  the  others  stay  and  guard 
The  ship,  I  chose  among  my  bravest  men  215 

Twelve  whom  I  took  with  me.  I  had  on  board 
A  goatskin  of  dark  wine,  —  a  pleasant  sort, 

Which  Maron  late,  Evanthes’  son,  a  priest 
Of  Phoebus,  guardian  god  of  Ismarus, 

Gave  me,  when,  moved  with  reverence,  we  saved  220 
Him  and  his  children  and  his  wife  from  death. 

For  his  abode  was  in  the  thick-grown  grove 
Of  Phoebus.  Costly  were  the  gifts  he  gave,  — 


The  Odyssey. 


184 

Seven  talents  of  wrought  gold  ;  a  chalice  all 
Of  silver  ;  and  he  drew  for  me,  besides,  22s 

Into  twelve  jars,  a  choice  rich  wine,  unspoiled 
By  mixtures,  and  a  beverage  for  gods. 

No  one  within  his  dwellings,  maids  or  men, 

Knew  of  it,  save  the  master  and  his  wife, 

And  matron  of  the  household.  Whensoe’er  zy> 
They  drank  this  rich  red  wine,  he  only  filled 
A  single  cup  with  wine,  and  tempered  that 
With  twenty  more  of  water.  From  the  cup 
Arose  a  fragrance  that  might  please  the  gods, 

And  hard  it  was  to  put  the  draught  aside.  235 

Of  this  I  took  a  skin  well  filled,  besides 
Food  in  a  hamper,  — for  my  thoughtful  mind 
Misgave  me,  lest  I  should  encounter  one 
Of  formidable  strength  and  savage  mood, 

And  with  no  sense  of  justice  or  of  right.  240 

“  Soon  were  we  at  the  cave,  but  found  not  him 
Within  it ;  he  was  in  the  fertile  meads, 

Tending  his  flocks.  We  entered,  wondering  much 
At  all  we  saw.  Around  were  baskets  heaped 
With  cheeses  ;  pens  were  thronged  with  lambs  and 
kids,  24s 

Each  in  a  separate  fold ;  the  elder  ones, 

The  younger,  and  the  newly  yeaned,  had  each 
Their  place  apart.  The  vessels  swam  with  whey,  — 
Pails  smoothly  wrought,  and  buckets  into  which 
He  milked  the  cattle.  My  companions  then  250 
Begged  me  with  many  pressing  words  to  take 


Book  IX. 


185 


Part  of  the  cheeses,  and,  returning,  drive 

With  speed  to  our  good  galley  lambs  and  kids 

From  where  they  stabled,  and  set  sail  again 

On  the  salt  sea.  I  granted  not  their  wish  ;  25s 

Far  better  if  I  had.  ’T  was  my  intent 

To  see  the  owner  of  the  flocks  and  prove 

His  hospitality.  No  pleasant  sight 

Was  that  to  be  for  those  with  whom  I  came. 

3 £  ■ 

“  And  then  we  lit  a  fire,  and  sacrificed,  260 

And  ate  the  cheeses,  and  within  the  cave 
Sat  waiting,  till  from  pasturing  his  flocks 
He  came  ;  a  heavy  load  of  well-dried  wood 
He  bore,  to  make  a  blaze  at  supper-time. 

Without  the  den  he  flung  his  burden  down  265 

With  such  a  crash  that  we  in  terror  slunk 

Into  a  corner  of  the  cave.  He  drove 

His  well-fed  flock,  all  those  whose  milk  he  drew, 

Under  that  spacious  vault  of  rock,  but  left 

The  males,  both  goats  and  rams,  without  the  court.  270 

And  then  he  lifted  a  huge  barrier  up, 

A  mighty  weight ;  not  two-and-twenty  wains, 
Four-wheeled  and  strong,  could  move  it  from  the 
ground  : 

Such  was  the  enormous  rock  he  raised,  and  placed 
Against  the  entrance.  Then  he  sat  and  milked  275 
The  ewes  and  bleating  goats,  each  one  in  turn, 

And  gave  to  each  its  young.  Next,  half  the  milk 
He  caused  to  curdle,  and  disposed  the  curd 
In  woven  baskets ;  and  the  other  half 


The  Odyssey. 


1 86 

He  kept  in  bowls  to  be  his  evening  drink.  280 

His  tasks  all  ended  thus,  he  lit  a  fire, 

And  saw  us  where  we  lurked,  and  questioned  us  :  — 
“  ‘  Who  are  ye,  strangers  ?  Tell  me  whence  ye 
came 

Across  the  ocean.  Are  ye  men  of  trade, 

Or  wanderers  at  will,  like  those  who  roam  285 

The  sea  for  plunder,  and,  with  their  own  lives 
In  peril,  carry  death  to  distant  shores?’ 

“  He  spake,  and  we  who  heard,  with  sinking  hearts 
Trembled  at  that  deep  voice  and  frightful  form, 
And  thus  I  answered  :  ‘We  are  Greeks  who  come  290 
From  Ilium,  driven  across  the  mighty  deep 
By  changing  winds,  and  while  we  sought  our  home 
Have  made  a  different  voyage,  and  been  forced 
Upon  another  course ;  such  was  the  will 
Of  Jupiter.  We  boast  ourselves  to  be  29s 

Soldiers  of  Agamemnon,  Atreus’  son, 

Whose  fame  is  now  the  greatest  under  heaven, 

So  mighty  was  the  city  which  he  sacked, 

So  many  were  the  warriors  whom  he  slew ; 

And  now  we  come  as  suppliants  to  thy  knees,  300 
And  ask  thee  to  receive  us  as  thy  guests, 

Or  else  bestow  the  gifts  which  custom  makes 
The  stranger’s  due.  Great  as  thou  art,  revere 
The  gods  ;  for  suitors  to  thy  grace  are  we, 

And  hospitable  Jove,  whose  presence  goes  303 

With  every  worthy  stranger,  will  avenge 
Suppliants  and  strangers  when  they  suffer  wrong.’ 


Book  IX. 


187 

“I  spake,  and  savagely  he  answered  me  :  — 

4  Thou  art  a  fool,  O  stranger,  or  art  come 

From  some  far  country,  —  thou  who  biddest  me  310 

Fear  or  regard  the  gods.  We  little  care  — 

We  Cyclops  —  for  the  Higis-bearer,  Jove, 

Or  any  other  of  the  blessed  gods  ; 

We  are  their  betters.  Think  not  I  would  spare 
Thee  or  thy  comrades  to  avoid  the  wrath  315 

Of  Jupiter,  unless  it  were  my  choice; 

But  say,  —  for  I  would  know,  —  where  hast  thou  left 
Thy  gallant  bark  in  landing  ?  was  it  near, 

Or  in  some  distant  corner  of  the  isle  ?  ’ 

44  He  spake  to  tempt  me,  but  I  well  perceived  320 
His  craft,  and  answered  with  dissembling  words  :  — 
44  4  Neptune,  who  shakes  the  shores,  hath  wrecked 
my  bark 

On  rocks  that  edge  thine  island,  hurling  it 
Against  the  headland.  From  the  open  sea 
The  tempest  swept  it  hitherward,  and  I,  32s 

With  these,  escaped  the  bitter  doom  of  death.’ 

44 1  spake  ;  the  savage  answered  not,  but  sprang, 
And,  laying  hands  on  my  companions,  seized 
Two,  whom  he  dashed  like  whelps  against  the 
ground. 

Their  brains  flowed  out,  and  weltered  where  they  fell. 
He  hewed  them  limb  from  limb  for  his  repast,  331 
And,  like  a  lion  of  the  mountain  wilds, 

Devoured  them  as  they  were,  and  left  no  part,  — 
Entrails  nor  flesh  nor  marrowy  bones.  We  wept 


1 88 


The  Odyssey . 


To  see  his  cruelties,  and  raised  our  hands  335 

To  Jove,  and  hopeless  misery  filled  our  hearts. 

And  when  the  Cyclops  now  had  filled  himself, 
Devouring  human  flesh,  and  drinking  milk 
Unmingled,  in  his  cave  he  laid  him  down, 

Stretched  out  amid  his  flocks.  The  thought  arose  340 
In  my  courageous  heart  to  go  to  him, 

And  draw  the  trenchant  sword  upon  my  thigh, 

And  where  the  midriff  joins  the  liver  deal 
A  stroke  to  pierce  his  breast.  A  second  thought 
Restrained  me,  —  that  a  miserable  death  34s 

Would  overtake  us,  since  we  had  no  power 
To  move  the  mighty  rock  which  he  had  laid 
At  the  high  opening.  So  all  night  we  grieved, 
Waiting  the  holy  Morn  ;  and  when  at  length 
That  rosy-fingered  daughter  of  the  Dawn  3;° 

Appeared,  the  Cyclops  lit  a  fire,  and  milked 
His  fair  flock  one  by  one,  and  brought  their  young 
Each  to  its  mother’s  side.  When  he  had  thus 
Performed  his  household  tasks,  he  seized  again 
Two  of  our  number  for  his  morning  meal.  333 

These  he  devoured,  and  then  he  moved  away 
With  ease  the  massive  rock  that  closed  the  cave, 
And,  driving  forth  his  well-fed  flock,  he  laid 
The  massive  barrier  back,  as  one  would  fit 
The  lid  upon  a  quiver.  With  loud  noise  360 

The  Cyclops  drove  that  well-fed  flock  afield, 

While  I  was  left  to  think  of  many  a  plan 
To  do  him  mischief  and  avenge  our  wrongs, 


Book  IX. 


189 


If  haply  Pallas  should  confer  on  me 

That  glory.  To  my  mind,  as  I  revolved  36S 

The  plans,  this  seemed  the  wisest  of  them  all. 

“  Beside  the  stalls  there  lay  a  massive  club 
Of  olive-wood,  yet  green,  which  from  its  stock 
The  Cyclops  hewed,  that  he  might  carry  it 
When  seasoned.  As  it  lay  it  seemed  to  us  370 
The  mast  of  some  black  galley,  broad  of  beam, 
With  twenty  oarsmen,  built  to  carry  freight 
Across  the  mighty  deep,  —  such  was  its  length 
And  thickness.  Standing  by  it,  I  cut  off 
A  fathom’s  length,  and  gave  it  to  my  men,  37s 

And  bade  them  smooth  its  sides,  and  they  obeyed 
While  I  made  sharp  the  smaller  end,  and  brought 
The  point  to  hardness  in  the  glowing  fire ; 

And  then  I  hid  the  weapon  in  a  heap 
Of  litter,  which  lay  thick  about  the  cave.  380 

I  bade  my  comrades  now  decide  by  lot 
Which  of  them  all  should  dare,  along  with  me, 

To  lift  the  stake,  and  with  its  point  bore  out 
Our  enemy’s  eye,  when  softly  wrapped  in  sleep. 

The  lot  w?as  cast,  and  fell  on  those  whom  most  385 
I  wished  with  me,  —  four  men,  and  I  the  fifth. 

“  At  eve  the  keeper  of  these  fair-woolled  flocks 
Returned,  and  brought  his  well-fed  sheep  and  goats 
Into  the  spacious  cavern,  leaving  none 
Without  it,  whether  through  some  doubt  of  us  390 
Or  through  the  ordering  of  some  god.  He  raised 
The  massive  rock  again,  and  laid  it  close 


190 


The  Odyssey. 


Against  the  opening.  Then  he  sat  and  milked 
The  ewes  and  bleating  goats,  each  one  in  turn, 

And  gave  to  each  her  young.  When  he  had  thus  395 
Performed  his  household  tasks,  he  seized  again 
Two  of  our  number  for  his  evening  meal. 

Then  drew  I  near,  and  bearing  in  my  hand 
A  wooden  cup  of  dark  red  wine  I  said  :  — 

“  £  Take  this,  O  Cyclops,  after  thy  repast  400 
Of  human  flesh,  and  drink,  that  thou  mayst  know 
What  liquor  was  concealed  within  our  ship. 

I  brought  it  as  an  offering  to  thee, 

For  I  had  hope  that  thou  wouldst  pity  us, 

And  send  us  home.  Yet  are  thy  cruelties  405 

Beyond  all  limit.  Wicked  as  thou  art, 

Hereafter  who,  of  all  the  human  race, 

Will  dare  approach  thee,  guilty  of  such  wrong  ?  ’ 

“  As  thus  I  spake,  he  took  the  cup  and  drank. 
The  luscious  wine  delighted  mightily  410 

His  palate,  and  he  asked  a  second  draught. 

“  ‘  Give  me  to  drink  again,  and  generously, 

And  tell  thy  name,  that  I  may  make  a  gift 
Such  as  becomes  a  host.  The  fertile  land 
In  which  the  Cyclops  dwell  yields  wine,  ’t  is  true,  41s 
And  the  large  grapes  are  nursed  by  rains  from  Jove, 
But  nectar  and  ambrosia  are  in  this.’ 

“  He  spake  ;  I  gave  him  of  the  generous  juice 
Again,  and  thrice  I  filled  and  brought  the  cup, 

And  thrice  the  Cyclops  in  his  folly  drank. 

But  when  I  saw  the  wine  begin  to  cloud 


420 


Book  IX. 


191 


His  senses,  I  bespake  him  blandly  thus  :  — 

“  4  Thou  hast  inquired,  O  Cyclops,  by  what  name 
Men  know  me.  I  will  tell  thee,  but  do  thou 
Bestow  in  turn  some  hospitable  gift,  425 

As  thou  hast  promised.  Noman  is  my  name, 

My  father  and  my  mother  gave  it  me, 

And  Noman  am  I  called  by  all  my  friends.’ 

“I  ended,  and  he  answered  savagely  :  — 

4  Noman  shall  be  the  last  of  all  his  band  430 

Whom  I  will  eat,  the  rest  will  I  devour 
Before  him.  Let  that  respite  be  my  gift.’ 

44  He  spake,  and,  sinking  backward  at  full  length, 
Lay  on  the  ground,  with  his  huge  neck  aside ; 
All-powerful  sleep  had  overtaken  him.  •  435 

Then  from  his  mouth  came  bits  of  human  flesh 
Mingled  with  wine,  and  from  his  drunken  throat 
Rejected  noisily.  I  put  the  stake 
Among  the  glowing  coals  to  gather  heat, 

And  uttered  cheerful  words,  encouraging  440 

My  men,  that  none  might  fail  me  through  their  fears. 
And  when  the  olive-wood  began  to  blaze,  — 

For  though  yet  green  it  freely  took  the  fire, — 

I  drew  it  from  the  embers.  Round  me  stood 
My  comrades,  whom  some  deity  inspired 
With  calm,  high  courage.  In  their  hands  they  took 
And  thrust  into  his  eye  the  pointed  bar, 

While  perched  upon  a  higher  stand  than  they 
I  twirled  it  round.  As  when  a  workman  bores 
Some  timber  of  a  ship,  tiie  men  who  stand  450 


192 


The  Odyssey. 


4SS 


460 


Below  him  with  a  strap,  on  either  side 
Twirl  it,  and  round  it  spins  unceasingly, 

So,  thrusting  in  his  eye  that  pointed  bar,  ^ 

We  made  it  turn.  The  blood  came  streaming  forth 
On  the  hot  wood ;  the  eyelids  and  the  brow 
Were  scalded  by  the  vapor,  and  the  roots 
Of  the  scorched  eyeball  crackled  with  the  fire. 

As  when  a  smith,  in  forging  axe  or  adze, 

Plunges,  to  temper  it,  the  hissing  blade 
Into  cold  water,  strengthening  thus  the  steel, 

So  hissed  the  eyeball  of  the  Cyclops  round 
That  olive  stake.  He  raised  a  fearful  howl ; 

The  rocks  rang  with  it,  and  we  fled  from  him 
In  terror.  Plucking  from  his  eye  the  stake 
All  foul  and  dripping  with  the  abundant  blood, 

He  flung  it  madly  from  him  with  both  hands. 

Then  called  he  to  the  Cyclops  who  in  grots 
Dwelt  on  that  breezy  height.  They  heard  his 
voice 

And  came  by  various  ways,  and  stood  beside 
The  cave,  and  asked  the  occasion  of  his  grief.  47° 

“  ‘  What  hurts  thee,  Polyphemus,  that  thou  thus 
Dost  break  our  slumbers  in  the  ambrosial  night 

^  *  0 

With  cries  ?  Hath  any  of  the  sons  of  men  n 
Driven  off  thy  flocks  in  spite  of  thee,  or  tried 
By  treachery  or  force  to  take  thy  life  ?  ’ 

“  Huge  Polyphemus  answered  from  his  den : 

‘  O  friends  !  ’t  is  Noman  who  is  killing  me  ; 

By  treachery  Noman  kills  me  ;  none  by  force.’ 


465 


475 


Book  IX. 


193 


“Then  thus  with  winged  words  they  spake  again : — 

‘  If  no  man  does  thee  violence,  and  thou  480 

Art  quite  alone,  reflect  that  none  escape 
Diseases  ;  they  are  sent  by  Jove.  But  make 
Thy  prayer  to  Father  Neptune,  ocean’s  king.’ 

“  So  spake  they  and  departed.  In  my  heart  1  f  3 
I  laughed  to  think  that  by  the  name  I  took,  485 
And  by  my  shrewd  device,  I  had  deceived 
The  Cyclops.  Meantime,  groaning  and  in  pain, 

And  groping  with  his  hands,  he  moved  away 
The  rock  that  barred  the  entrance.  There  he  sat, 

With  arms  outstretched,  to  seize  whoever  sought  490 
To  issue  from  the  cavern  with  the  flock, 

So  dull  of  thought  he  deemed  me.  Then  I  planned 
How  best  to  save  my  comrades  and  myself 
From  death.  I  framed  a  thousand  stratagems 
And  arts,  —  for  here  was  life  at  stake,  and  great  49s 
The  danger  was.  At  last  I  fixed  on  this. 

“  The  rams  were  plump  and  beautiful,  and  large 
With  thick  dark  fleeces.  These  I  silently 
Bound  to  each  other,  three  and  three,  with  twigs 
Of  which  that  prodigy  of  lawless  guilt,  s°o 

The  Cyclops,  made  his  bed.  The  middle  ram 
Of  every  three  conveyed  a  man  ;  the  two, 

One  on  each  side,  were  there  to  make  him  safe. 

Thus  each  of  us  was  borne  by  three ;  but  I 
Chose  for  myself  the  finest  one  of  all,  5°= 

And  seized  him  by  the  back,  and,  slipping  down 
Beneath  his  shaggy  belly,  stretched  myself 
vol.  1.  9 


M 


194 


The  Odyssey . 


At  length,  and  clung  with  resolute  heart,  and  hands 
That  firmly  clenched  the  rich  abundant  fleece. 

Then  sighed  we  for  the  holy  Morn  to  rise.  5™ 

“  And  when  again  the  daughter  of  the  Dawn, 
The  rosy-fingered  Morn,  looked  forth,  the  males 
Went  forth  to  pasture,  while  the  ewes  remained 
Within  the  stables,  bleating,  yet  unmilked, 

For  heavy  were  their  udders.  Carefully  sis 

The  master  handled,  though  in  grievous  pain, 

The  back  of  every  one  that  rose  and  passed, 

Yet,  slow  of  thought,  perceived  not  that  my  men 
Were  clinging  hid  beneath  their  woolly  breasts. 

As  the  last  ram  of  all  the  flock  went  out,  520 

His  thick  fleece  heavy  with  my  weight,  and  I 
In  agitated  thought,  he  felt  his  back, 

And  thus  the  giant  Polyphemus  spake  :  — 

“  1  My  favorite  ram,  how  art  thou  now  the  last 
To  leave  the  cave?  It  hath  not  been  thy  wont  525 
To  let  the  sheep  go  first,  but  thou  didst  come 
Earliest  to  feed  among  the  flowery  grass, 

Walking  with  stately  strides,  and  thou  wert  first 
At  the  fresh  stream,  and  first  at  eve  to  seek 
The  stable  ;  now  thou  art  the  last  of  all.  530 

Grievest  thou  for  thy  master,  who  has  lost 
His  eye,  put  out  by  a  deceitful  wretch 
And  his  vile  crew,  who  stupefied  me  first 
With  wine,  —  this  Noman,  —  who,  if  right  I  deem, 
Has  not  escaped  from  death.  O,  didst  thou  think  53s 
As  I  do,  and  hadst  but  the  power  of  speech 


Book  IX. 


195 


To  tell  me  where  he  hides  from  my  strong  arm, 
Then  should  his  brains,  dashed  out  against  the  ground. 
Be  scattered  here  and  there  ;  then  should  my  heart 
Be  somewhat  lighter,  even  amid  the  woes  54= 

Which  Xoman,  worthless  wretch,  has  brought  on 
me !  ’ 

“  He  spake,  and  sent  him  forth  among  the  rest ; 
And  when  we  were  a  little  way  beyond 
The  cavern  and  the  court,  I  loosed  my  hold 
Upon  the  animal  and  unbound  my  men.  543 

Then  quickly  we  surrounded  and  drove  off, 

Fat  sheep  and  stately  paced,  a  numerous  flock, 

And  brought  them  to  our  ship,  where  joyfully 
Our  friends  received  us,  though  with  grief  and  tears 
For  those  who  perished.  Yet  I  suffered  not  353 
That  they  should  weep,  but,  frowning,  gave  command 
By  signs  to  lift  with  speed  the  fair-woolled  sheep 
On  board,  and  launch  our  ship  on  the  salt  sea. 
Thev  went  on  board,  where  each  one  took  his 
place 

Upon  the  benches,  and  with  diligent  oars  535 

Smote  the  gray  deep  ;  and  when  we  were  as  far 
As  one  upon  the  shore  could  hear  a  shout. 

Thus  to  the  Cyclops  tauntingly  I  called  :  — 

“  ‘  Ha !  Cyclops  !  those  whom  in  thy  rocky  cave 
Thou,  in  thy  brutal  fun*,  hast  devoured,  ^ 

Were  friends  of  one  not  unexpert  in  war ; 

Amply  have  thy  own  guilty  deeds  returned 
Upon  thee.  Cruel  one !  who  didst  not  fear 


196 


The  Odyssey. 


To  eat  the  strangers  sheltered  by  thy  roof, 

Jove  and  the  other  gods  avenge  them  thus.’  5«s 
“  I  spake  ;  the  anger  in  his  bosom  raged 
More  fiercely.  From  a  mountain  peak  he  wrenched 
Its  summit,  hurling  it  to  fall  beside 
Our  galley,  where  it  almost  touched  the  helm. 

The  rock  dashed  high  the  water  where  it  fell,  57° 
And  the  returning  billow  swept  us  back 
And  toward  the  shore.  I  seized  a  long-stemmed  pike 
And  pushed  it  from  the  shore,  encouraging 
The  men  to  bend  with  vigor  to  their  oars 
And  so  escape.  With  nods  I  gave  the  sign.  57s 
Forward  to  vigorous  strokes  the  oarsmen  leaned 
Till  we  were  out  at  sea  as  far  from  land 
As  when  I  spake  before,  and  then  again 
I  shouted  to  the  Cyclops,  though  my  crew 
Strove  to  prevent  it  with  beseeching  words,  580 
And  one  man  first  and  then  another  said  :  — 

“  1  O  most  unwise  !  why  chafe  that  savage  man 
To  fury,  — him  who  just  has  cast  his  bolt 
Into  the  sea,  and  forced  us  toward  the  land 
Where  we  had  wellnigh  perished  ?  Should  he  hear  585 
A  cry  from  us,  or  even  a  word  of  speech, 

Then  would  he  fling  a  rock  to  crush  our  heads 
And  wreck  our  ship,  so  fatal  is  his  east.’ 

“  He  spake,  but  moved  not  my  courageous  heart ; 
And  then  I  spake  again,  and  angrily  :  —  590 

“  ‘  Cyclops,  if  any  man  of  mortal  birth 
Note  thine  unseemly  blindness,  and  inquire 


Book  IX. 


19 r 

The  occasion,  tell  him  that  Laertes’  son, 

Ulysses,  the  destroyer  of  walled  towns, 

Whose  home  is  Ithaca,  put  out  thine  eye.’  595 

“  I  spake  ;  he  answered  with  a  wailing  voice  :  — 

1  Now,  woe  is  me !  the  ancient  oracles 
Concerning  me  have  come  to  pass.  Here  dwelt 
A  seer  named  Telemus  Eurymides, 

Great,  good,  and  eminent  in  prophecy,  600 

And  prophesying  he  grew  old  among 

The  Cyclops.  He  foretold  my  coming  fate,  — 

That  I  should  lose  my  sight,  and  by  the  hand 
And  cunning  of  Ulysses.  Yet  I  looked 
For  one  of  noble  presence,  mighty  strength,  605 
And  giant  stature  landing  on  our  coast. 

Now  a  mere  weakling,  insignificant 
And  small  of  stature,  has  put  out  my  eye, 

First  stupefying  me  with  wine.  Yet  come 
Hither,  I  pray,  Ulysses,  and  receive  610 

The  hospitable  gifts  which  are  thy  due ; 

And  I  will  pray  to  Neptune,  and  entreat 
The  mighty  god  to  guide  thee  safely  home. 

His  son  am  I,  and  he  declares  himself 
My  father.  He  can  heal  me  if  he  will,  615 

And  no  one  else  of  all  the  immortal  gods 
Or  mortal  men  can  give  me  back  my  sight.’ 

“  H@  spake  ;  I  answered  :  ‘  Rather  would  I  take 
Thy  life  and  breath,  and  send  thee  to  the  abode 
Of  Hades,  where  thou  wouldst  be  past  the  power  620 
Of  even  Neptune  to  restore  thine  eye.’ 


The  Odyssey. 


198 

“  As  thus  I  said,  the  Cyclops  raised  his  hands, 
And  spread  them  toward  the  starry  heaven,  and  thus 
Prayed  to  the  deity  who  rules  the  deep  :  — 

“‘Hear,  dark-haired  Neptune,  who  dost  swathe 
the  earth !  625 

If  I  am  thine,  and  thou  dost  own  thyself 
My  father,  grant  that  this  Ulysses  ne’er 
May  reach  his  native  land  !  But  if  it  be 
The  will  of  fate  that  he  behold  again 
His  friends,  and  enter  his  own  palace-halls  630 
In  his  own  country,  late  and  sorrowful 
Be  his  return,  with  all  his  comrades  lost, 

And  in  a  borrowed  ship,  and  may  he  find 
In  his  own  home  new  griefs  awaiting  him/ 

“  He  prayed,  and  Neptune  hearkened  to  his 
prayer.  63s 

And  then  the  Cyclops  seized  another  stone, 

Far  larger  than  the  last,  and  swung  it  round, 

And  cast  it  with  vast  strength.  It  fell  behind 
Our  black-prowed  galley,  where  it  almost  struck 
The  rudder’s  end.  The  sea  was  dashed  on  high  640 
Beneath  the  falling  rock,  and  bore  our  ship 
On  toward  the  shore  we  sought.  When  we  reached 
The  island  where  together  in  a  fleet 
Our  other  galleys  lay,  we  found  our  friends 
Sitting  where  they  had  waited  long  in  grief.  645 
We  touched  the  shore  and  drew  our  galley  up 
On  the  smooth  sand,  and  stepped  upon  the  beach; 
And  taking  from  on  board  the  sheep  that  formed 


Book  X. 


199 


Part  of  the  Cyclops’  flock,  divided  them, 

That  none  might  be  without  an  equal  share.  650 
When  all  the  rest  were  shared,  my  warrior  friends 
Decreed  the  ram  to  me.  Of  him  I  made 
Upon  the  beach  a  sacrifice  to  Jove 
The  Cloud-compeller,  Saturn’s  son,  whose  rule 
Is  over  all ;  to  him  I  burned  the  thighs.  6S3 

He  heeded  not  the  offering ;  even  then 
He  planned  the  wreck  of  all  my  gallant  ships, 

And  death  of  my  dear  comrades.  All  that  day 
Till  set  of  sun  we  sat  and  feasted  high 
Upon  the  abundant  meats  and  delicate  wine.  660 
But  when  the  sun  went  down,  and  darkness  crept 
Over  the  earth,  we  slumbered  on  the  shore ; 

And  when  again  the  daughter  of  the  Dawn, 

The  rosy-fingered  Morn,  looked  forth,  I  called 
My  men  with  cheerful  words  to  climb  the  decks  665 
And  cast  the  hawsers  loose.  With  speed  they  went 
On  board  and  manned  the  benches,  took  in  hand 
The  oars  and  smote  with  them  the  hoary  deep. 
Onward  in  sadness,  glad  to  have  escaped, 

We  sailed,  yet  sorrowing  for  our  comrades  lost.”  e7o 


BOOK  X. 


« 


wE  reached  the  yEolian  isle,  where  AEolus, 


Dear  to  the  gods,  a  son  of  Hippotas, 
Made  his  abode.  It  was  a  floating  isle  ; 


200 


The  Odyssey. 


A  wall  of  brass  enclosed  it,  and  smooth  rocks 
Edged  it  around.  Twelve  children  in  his  halls 
Were  born,  six  daughters  and  six  blooming  sons  ; 
He  gave  his  daughters  to  his  sons  for  wives. 

And  they  with  their  dear  father  and  his  queen 
Banquet  from  day  to  day,  with  endless  change 
Of  meats  before  them.  In  his  halls  all  day 
The  sound  of  pipes  is  in  the  perfumed  air ; 

At  night  the  youths  beside  their  modest  wives 
Sleep  on  fair  couches  spread  with  tapestry. 

So  coming  to  his  town  and  fair  abode, 

I  found  a  friendly  welcome.  One  full  month 
The  monarch  kept  me  with  him,  and  inquired 
Of  all  that  might  concern  the  fate  of  Troy, 

The  Argive  fleet,  and  the  return  to  Greece, 

And  just  as  it  befell  I  told  him  all. 

And  when  I  spake  to  him  of  going  thence, 

And  prayed  him  to  dismiss  me,  he  complied, 

And  helped  to  make  us  ready  for  the  sea. 

The  bladder  of  a  bullock  nine  years  old 
He  gave,  in  which  he  had  compressed  and  bound 
The  stormy  winds  of  air ;  for  Saturn’s  son 
Had  given  him  empire  o’er  the  winds,  with  power 
To  calm  them  or  to  rouse  them  at  his  will. 

This  in  our  roomy  galley  he  made  fast 
With  a  bright  chain  of  silver,  that  no  breath 
Of  ruder  air  might  blow.  He  only  left 
The  west  wind  free  to  waft  our  ships  and  us 
Upon  our  way.  But  that  was  not  to  be  ; 


Book  X. 


2  01 


We  perished  by  a  folly  of  our  own. 

“  Nine  days  we  held  our  way,  both  day  and  night ; 
And  now  appeared  in  sight  our  native  fields  35 
On  the  tenth  night,  where  on  the  shore  we  saw 
Men  kindling  fires.  Meantime  a  pleasant  sleep 
Had  overcome  my  weary  limbs,  for  long 
Had  I  been  guiding  with  incessant  toil 
The  rudder,  nor  would  trust  it  to  the  hand  40 

Of  any  other,  such  was  my  desire 
To  reach  our  country  by  the  shortest  way. 

Then  talked  my  crew  among  themselves,  and  said 
That  I  had  brought  with  me  from  HloIus, 

The  large-souled  son  of  Hippotas,  rich  gifts  45 
Of  gold  and  silver.  Standing  side  by  side 
And  looking  at  each  other,  thus  they  said  :  — 

“  ‘  How  wonderfully  is  our  chief  revered 
And  loved  by  all  men,  wander  where  he  will 
Into  what  realm  soever  !  From  the  coast  50 

Of  Troy  he  sailed  with  many  precious  things, 

His  share  of  spoil,  while  we,  who  with  him  went 
And  with  him  came,  are  empty-handed  yet ; 

And  now  hath  AEolus,  to  show  how  much 
He  prizes  him,  bestowed  the  treasures  here.  55 
Come,  let  us  see  them ;  let  us  know  how  much 
Of  gold  and  silver  is  concealed  in  this.’ 

“  Thus  speaking  to  each  other,  they  obeyed 
The  evil  counsel.  They  untied  the  sack, 

And  straight  the  winds  rushed  forth  and  seized  the 
ship, 

9  * 


60 


202 


The  Odyssey. 


And  swept  the  crews,  lamenting  bitterly, 

Far  from  their  country  out  upon  the  deep ; 

And  then  I  woke,  and  in  my  noble  mind 
Bethought  me  whether  I  should  drop  at  once 
Into  the  deep  and  perish,  or  remain 
And  silently  endure  and  keep  my  place 
Among  the  living.  I  remained,  endured, 

And  covered  with  my  mantle  lay  within 
My  galley,  while  the  furious  whirlwind  bore 
Back  to  the  ^Eolian  isle  our  groaning  crews.  70 
“  We  landed  on  the  coast,  and  to  our  barks 
Brought  water.  Then  my  men  prepared  a  meal 
Beside  the  fleet ;  and  having  tasted  food 
And  wine,  I  took  a  herald  and  a  friend, 

And,  hastening  to  the  sumptuous  palace-halls  75 
Of  ^Eolus,  I  found  him  with  his  wife 
And  children  banqueting.  We  sat  us  down 
Upon  the  threshold  at  the  palace-doors, 

And  they  were  all  astonished,  and  inquired  :  — 

“  ‘  Why  art  thou  here  ?  What  god  thine  enemy  so 
Pursues  thee,  O  Ulysses !  whom  we  sent 
So  well  prepared  to  reach  thy  native  land, 

Thy  home,  or  any  place  that  pleased  thee  most  ?  ’ 
“They  spake,  and  sorrowfully  I  replied  : — - 
‘  The  fault  is  all  with  my  unthinking  crew  s5 

And  my  own  luckless  slumber.  Yet,  my  friends, 
Repair  the  mischief,  for  ye  have  the  power.’ 

“  Thus  with  submissive  words  I  spake,  but  they 
Sat  mute,  the  father  only  answered  me  :  — 


Book  X. 


203 


“  c  Hence  with  thee  !  Leave  our  island  instantly,  9* 
Vilest  of  living  men  !  It  may  not  be 
That  I  receive  or  aid  as  he  departs 
One  who  is  hated  by  the  blessed  gods,  — 

And  thou  art  hated  by  the  gods.  Away  ! ’ 

“  He  spake,  and  sent  us  from  the  palace-door  95 
Lamenting.  Sorrowfully  went  we  on. 

And  now  with  rowing  hard  and  long,  —  the  fruit 
Of  our  own  folly,  —  all  our  crews  lost  heart, 

And  every  hope  of  safe  return  was  gone. 

“  Six  days  and  nights  we  sailed  ;  the  seventh  we 
came  100 

To  lofty  Laestrigoni  with  wide  gates, 

The  city  of  Lamos,  where,  on  going  forth, 

The  shepherd  calls  to  shepherd  entering  in. 

There  might  a  man  who  never  yields  to  sleep 
Earn  double  wages,  first  in  pasturing  herds,  105 
And  then  in  tending  sheep  ;  for  there  the  fields 
Grazed  in  the  daytime  are  by  others  grazed 
At  night.  We  reached  its  noble  haven,  girt 
By  towering  rocks  that  rise  on  every  side, 

And  the  bold  shores  run  out  to  form  its  mouth,  —  no 
A  narrow  entrance.  There  the  other  crews 
Stationed  their  barks,  and  moored  them  close  beside 
Each  other,  in  that  hill-encircled  port. 

No  billow,  even  the  smallest,  rises  there ; 

The  water  glimmers  with  perpetual  calm.  ns 

I  only  kept  my  dark-hulled  ship  without, 

And  bound  its  cable  to  a  jutting  rock. 


204 


The  Odyssey. 


“  I  climbed  a  rugged  headland,  and  looked  forth. 
No  marks  of  tilth  appeared,  the  work  of  men 
Or  oxen,  only  smokes  that  from  below  1=0 

Rose  in  the  air.  And  then  I  sent  forth  scouts 
To  learn  what  race  of  men  who  live  by  bread 
Inhabited  the  land.  Two  chosen  men 
I  sent,  a  herald  made  the  third ;  and  these 
Went  inland  by  a  level  path,  on  which  125 

The  wains  brought  fuel  from  the  woody  heights 
Into  the  city.  On  their  way  they  met, 

Before  the  town,  a  damsel  with  an  ewer, — 

The  stately  daughter  of  Antiphates, 

The  Laestrigonian,  who  was  coming  down  130 

To  where  Artacia’s  smoothly  flowing  fount 
Gave  water  for  the  city.  They  drew  near 
And  spake,  and  asked  her  who  was  sovereign  there, 
And  who  his  people.  Straight  she  pointed  out 
A  lofty  pile  in  which  her  father  dwelt.  13s 

They  entered  that  proud  palace,  and  beheld, 

Tall  as  a  mountain  peak,  the  monarch’s  wife, 

And  shuddered  at  the  sight.  With  eager  haste 
She  called  her  husband,  King  Antiphates, 

From  council.  With  a  murderous  intent  140 

He  came,  and,  seizing  one  of  my  poor  friends, 
Devoured  him,  while  the  other  two  betook 
Themselves  to  sudden  flight  and  reached  the  ships. 
And  then  he  raised  a  fearful  yell  that  rang 
Through  all  the  city.  The  strong  Laestrigons  14s 
Rushed  forth  by  thousands  from  all  sides,  more  like 


Book  X. 


205 


To  giants  than  to  common  men.  They  hurled 
Stones  of  enormous  weight  from  cliffs  above, 

And  cries  of  those  who  perished  and  the  crash 
Of  shattered  galleys  rose.  They  speared  our 
friends  15° 

Like  fishes  for  their  horrid  feasts,  and  thus 
Bore  them  away.  While  those  within  the  port 
Were  slaughtered,  drawing  my  good  sword  I  cut 
The  hawsers  fastened  to  my  ship’s  blue  prow, 

And  cheered  my  men,  and  bade  them  fling  them¬ 
selves  ISS 

Upon  the  oars,  that  so  we  might  escape 
Our  threatened  fate.  They  heard,  and  plied  their  oars 
Like  men  who  rowed  for  life.  The  galley  shot 
Forth  from  these  beetling  rocks  into  the  sea 
Full  gladly  ;  all  the  others  perished  there.  160 

“  Onward  we  sailed,  with  sorrow  in  our  hearts 
For  our  lost  friends,  though  glad  to  be  reprieved 
From  death.  And  now  we  landed  at  an  isle, — 
JEze a,  where  the  fair-haired  Circe  dwelt, 

A  goddess  high  in  rank  and  skilled  in  song,  165 

Own  sister  of  the  wise  ffisetes.  Both 

Were  children  of  the  source  of  light,  the  Sun, 

And  Perse,  Ocean’s  daughter,  brought  them  forth. 
We  found  a  haven  here,  where  ships  might  lie ; 

And  guided  by  some  deity  we  brought  17c 

Our  galley  silently  against  the  shore, 

And  disembarked,  and  gave  two  days  and  nights 
To  rest,  unmanned  with  hardship  and  with  grief. 


20  6 


The  Odyssey. 


“  When  bright-haired  Morning  brought  the  third 
day  round, 

I  took  my  spear  and  my  good  sword,  and  left  17s 
The  ship,  and  climbed  a  height,  in  hope  to  spy 
Some  trace  of  human  toil,  or  hear  some  voice. 

On  a  steep  precipice  I  stood,  and  saw 
From  the  broad  earth  below  a  rising  smoke, 

Where  midst  the  thickets  and  the  forest-ground 
Stood  Circe’s  palace.  Seeing  that  dark  smoke, 
The  thought  arose  within  my  mind  that  there 
I  should  inquire.  I  pondered  till  at  last 
This  seemed  the  wisest,  —  to  return  at  once 
To  my  good  ship  upon  the  ocean-side,  is5 

And  give  my  crew  their  meal,  and  send  them  forth 
To  view  the  region.  Coming  to  the  spot 
Where  lay  my  well-oared  bark,  some  pitying  god 
Beneath  whose  eye  I  wandered  forth  alone 
Sent  a  huge  stag  into  my  very  path,  190 

High-horned,  which  from  his  pasture  in  the  wood 
Descended  to  the  river-side  to  drink, 

For  grievously  he  felt  the  hot  sun’s  power. 

Him  as  he  ran  I  smote ;  the  weapon  pierced, 

Just  at  the  spine,  the  middle  of  his  back.  195 

The  brazen  blade  passed  through,  and  with  a  moan 
He  fell  amid  the  dust,  and  yielded  up 
His  life.  I  went  to  him,  and  set  my  foot 
Against  him,  and  plucked  forth  the  brazen  spear, 
And  left  it  leaning  there.  And  then  I  broke 
Lithe  osiers  from  the  shrubs,  and  twined  of  these 


200 


Book  X. 


207 


A  rope,  which,  doubled,  was  an  ell  in  length. 

With  that  I  tied  the  enormous  creature’s  feet, 

And  slung  him  on  my  neck,  and  brought  him  thus 
To  my  black  ship.  I  used  the  spear  to  prop  205 
My  steps,  since  he  no  longer  could  be  borne 
Upon  the  shoulder,  aided  by  the  hand, 

Such  was  the  animal’s  bulk.  I  flung  him  down 
Before  the  ship,  encouraging  my  men 
With  cheerful  words,  and  thus  I  said  to  each  :  —  2x0 
“  1  My  friends,  we  will  not,  wretched  as  we  are, 
Go  down  to  Pluto’s  realm  before  our  time. 

While  food  and  wine  are  yet  within  the  hold 
Of  our  good  galley,  let  us  not  forget 
Our  daily  meals,  and  famine-stricken  pine.’  2x5 

“  I  spake ;  they  all  obeyed,  and  at  my  word 
Came  forth,  and  standing  by  the  barren  deep 
Admired  the  stag,  for  he  was  huge  of  bulk ; 

And  when  their  eyes  were  tired  with  wondering, 

My  people  washed  their  hands,  and  soon  had  made  220 
A  noble  banquet  ready.  All  that  day 
Till  set  of  sun  we  sat  and  feasted  there 
Upon  the  abundant  meat  and  delicate  wine  ; 

And  when  the  sun  went  down,  and  darkness  came, 
We  slept  upon  the  shore.  But  when  the  Morn,  225 
The  rosy-fingered  child  of  Dawn,  looked  forth, 

I  called  a  council  of  my  men  and  spake  :  — 

“  £  Give  ear,  my  friends,  amid  your  sufferings, 

To  words  that  I  shall  say.  We  cannot  here 
Know  which  way  lies  the  west,  nor  where  the  east,  230 


208 


The  Odyssey. 


Nor  where  the  sun,  that  shines  for  all  mankind, 
Descends  below  the  earth,  nor  where  again 
He  rises  from  it.  Yet  will  we  consult, 

If  room  there  be  for  counsel,  —  which  I  doubt, 

For  when  I  climbed  that  height  I  overlooked  23s 
An  isle  surrounded  by  the  boundless  deep,  — 

An  isle  low  lying.  In  the  midst  I  saw 
Smoke  rising  from  a  thicket  of  the  wood.’ 

“  I  spake  ;  their  courage  died  within  their  hearts 
As  they  remembered  what  Antiphates,  240 

The  Lsestrigon,  had  done,  and  what  foul  deeds 
The  cannibal  Cyclops,  and  they  wept  aloud. 

Tears  flowed  abundantly,  but  tears  were  now 
Of  no  avail  to  our  unhappy  band. 

“Numbering  my  well-armed  men,  I  made  of 
them  24s 

Two  equal  parties,  giving  each  its  chief. 

Myself  commanded  one  ;  Eurylochus, 

The  hero,  took  the  other  in  his  charge. 

“  Then  in  a  brazen  helm  we  shook  the  lots ; 

The  lot  of  brave  Eurylochus  leaped  forth,  =50 

And  he  with  two-and-twenty  of  our  men 
Went  forward  with  quick  steps,  and  yet  in  tears, 
While  we  as  sorrowful  were  left  behind. 

“  They  found  the  fair  abode  where  Circe  dwelt, 

A  palace  of  hewn  stone  within  the  vale,  255 

Yet  nobly  seated.  There  were  mountain  wolves 
And  lions  round  it,  which  herself  had  tamed 
With  powerful  drugs ;  yet  these  assaulted  not 


Book  X. 


209 


The  visitors,  but,  wagging  their  long  tails, 

Stood  on  their  hinder  feet,  and  fawned  on  them,  260 
Like  mastiffs  on  their  master  when  he  comes 
From  banqueting  and  brings  them  food.  So  fawned 
The  strong-clawed  wolves  and  lions  on  my  men. 
With  fear  my  men  beheld  those-  beasts  of  prey, 

Yet  went,  and,  standing  in  the  portico  263 

Of  the  bright-haired  divinity,  they  heard 
Her  sweet  voice  singing,  as  within  she  threw 
The  shuttle  through  the  wide  immortal  web, 

Such  as  is  woven  by  the  goddesses, — 

Delicate,  bright  of  hue,  and  beautiful.  270 

“  Polites  then,  a  chief  the  most  beloved 
And  most  discreet  of  all  my  comrades,  spake  :  — 

“  ‘  Some  one  is  here,  my  friends,  who  sweetly  sings, 
Weaving  an  ample  web,  and  all  the  floor 
.Rings  to  her  voice.  Whoever  she  may  be,  273 
Woman  or  goddess,  let  us  call  to  herd 

“  He  spake  ;  aloud  they  called,  and  forth  she  came 
And  threw  at  once  the  shining  doors  apart, 

And  bade  my  comrades  enter.  Without  thought 
They  followed  her.  Eurylochus  alone  2S0 

Remained  without,  for  he  suspected  guile. 

She  led  them  in  and  seated  them  on  thrones. 

Then  mingling  for  them  Pramnian  wine  with  cheese, 
Meal,  and  fresh  honey,  and  infusing  drugs 
Into  the  mixture,  —  drugs  which  made  them  lose  283 
The  memory  of  their  home,  —  she  handed  them 
The  beverage  and  they  drank.  Then  instantly 


N 


210 


The  Odyssey. 


She  touched  them  with  a  wand,  and  shut  them  up 
In  sties,  transformed  to  swine  in  head  and  voice, 
Bristles  and  shape,  though  still  the  human  mind  290 
Remained  to  them.  Thus  sorrowing  they  were  driven 
Into  their  cells,  where  Circb  flung  to  them 
Acorns  of  oak  and  ilex,  and  the  fruit 
Of  cornel,  such  as  nourish  wallowing  swine. 

“  Back  came  Eurylochus  to  our  good  ship  29s 
With  news  of  our  poor  comrades  and  their  fate, 

He  strove  to  speak,  but  could  not ;  he  was  stunned 
By  that  calamity ;  his  eyes  were  filled 
With  tears,  and  his  whole  soul  was  given  to  grief. 
We  marvelled  greatly ;  long  we  questioned  him,  300 
And  thus  he  spake  of  our  lost  friends  at  last  :  — 

“  ‘  Through  yonder  thickets,  as  thou  gav’st  com¬ 
mand, 

Illustrious  chief!  we  went,  until  we  reached 
A  stately  palace  of  hewn  stones,  within 
A  vale,  yet  nobly  seated.  Some  one  there,  30s 
Goddess  or  woman,  weaving  busily 
An  ample  web,  sang  sweetly  as  she  wrought. 

My  comrades  called  aloud,  and  forth  she  came, 
And  threw  at  once  the  shining  doors  apart, 

And  bade  us  enter.  Without  thought  the  rest  310 
Followed,  while  I  alone,  suspecting  guile, 

Remained  without.  My  comrades,  from  that  hour, 
Were  seen  no  more  ;  not  one  of  them  again 
Came  forth,  though  long  I  sat  and  watched  for  them.’ 

“  He  spake  ;  I  slung  my  silver-studded  sword  31s 


Book  X. 


21 1 


Upon  my  shoulders,  —  a  huge  blade  of  brass,  — 
And  mv  bow  with  it,  and  commanded  him 
To  lead  the  way.  He  seized  and  clasped  my  knees 
With  both  his  hands  in  attitude  of  prayer, 

And  sorrowfully  said  these  winged  words  :  —  32V 

44 4  Take  me  not  thither ;  force  me  not  to  go, 

O  foster-child  of  Jove !  but  leave  me  here  ; 

For  thou  wilt  not  return,  I  know,  nor  yet 
Deliver  one  of  our  lost  friends.  Our  part 
Is  to  betake  ourselves  to  instant  flight  325 

With  these  who  yet  remain,  and  so  escape.’ 

44  He  spake,  and  I  replied  :  4  Eurylochus, 

Remain  thou  here,  beside  our  roomy  ship, 

Eating  and  drinking.  I  shall  surely  go. 

A  strong  necessity  is  laid  on  me.’  330 

“  I  spake,  and  from  the  ship  and  shore  went  up 
Into  the  isle  5  and  when  I  found  myself 
Within  that  awful  valley,  and  not  far 
From  the  great  palace  in  which  Circb  dwelt, 

The  sorceress,  there  met  me  on  my  way  335 

A  youth ;  he  seemed  in  manhood’s  early  prime, 
When  youth  has  most  of  grace.  He  took  my  hand 
And  held  it,  and,  accosting  me,  began  :  — 

44  4  Rash  mortal !  whither  art  thou  wandering  thus 
Alone  among  the  hills,  where  every  place  340 

Is  strange  to  thee  ?  Thy  comrades  are  shut  up 
In  Circe’s  palace  in  close  cells  like  swine. 

Com’st  thou  to  set  them  free  ?  Nay,  thou  like  them 
Wilt  rather  find  thyself  constrained  to  stay. 


212 


The  Odyssey. 


Let  me  bestow  the  means  to  make  thee  safe  343 
Against  that  mischief.  Take  this  potent  herb, 

And  bear  it  with  thee  to  the.  palace-halls 
Of  Circe,  and  it  shall  avert  from  thee 
The  threatened  evil.  I  will  now  reveal 
The  treacherous  arts  of  Circe.  She  will  bring  330 
A  mingled  draught  to  thee,  and  drug  the  bowl, 

But  will  not  harm  thee  thus  ;  the  virtuous  plant 
I  gave  thee  will  prevent  it.  Hear  yet  more  : 

When  she  shall  smite  thee  with  her  wand,  draw  forth 
Thy  good  sword  from  thy  thigh  and  rush  at  her  355 
As  if  to  take  her  life,  and  she  will  crouch 
In  fear,  and  will  solicit  thine  embrace. 

Refuse  her  not,  that  so  she  may  release 
Thy  comrades,  and  may  send  thee  also  back 
To  thine  own  land  ;  but  first  exact  of  her  360 

The  solemn  oath  which  binds  the  blessed  gods, 
That  she  will  meditate  no  other  harm 
To  thee,  nor  strip  thee  of  thy  manly  strength.’ 

“The  Argus-queller  spake,  and  plucked  from  earth 
The  potent  plant  and  handed  it  to  me,  36s 

And  taught  me  all  its  powers.  The  root  is  black, 
The  blossom  white  as  milk.  Among  the  gods 
Its  name  is  Moly ;  hard  it  is  for  men 
To  dig  it  up  ;  the  gods  find  nothing  hard. 

“  Back  through  the  woody  island  Hermes  went  37a 
Toward  high  Olympus,  while  I  took  my  way 
To  Circe’s  halls,  yet  with  a  beating  heart. 

There,  as  I  stood  beneath  the  portico 


Book  X. 


213 


Of  that  bright-haired  divinity,  I  called 

Aloud  ;  the  goddess  heard  my  voice  and  came,  37s 

And  threw  at  once  the  shining  doors  apart, 

And  prayed  me  to  come  in.  I  followed  her, 

Yet  grieving  still.  She  led  me  in  and  gave 
A  seat  upon  a  silver-studded  throne, 

Beautiful,  nobly  wrought,  and  placed  beneath  380 
A  footstool,  and  prepared  a  mingled  draught 
Within  a  golden  chalice,  and  infused 
A  drug  with  mischievous  intent.  She  gave 
The  cup  ;  I  drank  it  off ;  the  charm  wrought  not, 
And  then  she  smote  me  with  her  wand  and  said  :  —  38s 
‘  Go  to  the  sty,  and  with  thy  fellows  sprawl/ 

“  She  spake  ;  but  drawing  forth  the  trusty  sword 
Upon  my  thigh,  I  rushed  at  her  as  if 
To  take  her  life.  She  shrieked  and,  stooping  low, 
Ran  underneath  my  arm  and  clasped  my  knees,  39° 
And  uttered  piteously  these  winged  words  :  — 

“  ‘  Who  art  thou  ?  of  what  race  and  of  what  land, 
And  who  thy  parents  ?  I  am  wonder-struck 
To  see  that  thou  couldst  drink  that  magic  juice 
And  yield  not  to  its  power.  No  living  man,  39s 
Whoever  he  might  be,  that  tasted  once 
Those  drugs,  or  passed  them  o’er  his  lips,  has  yet 
Withstood  them.  In  thy  breast  a  spirit  dwells 
Not  to  be  thus  subdued.  Art  thou  not  then 
Ulysses,  master  of  wise  stratagems,  400 

Whose  coming  hither,  on  his  way  from  Troy, 

In  his  black  galley,  oft  has  been  foretold 


214 


The  Odyssey. 


By  Hermes  of  the  golden  wand  ?  But  sheathe 
Thy  sword  and  share  my  couch,  that,  joined  in  love, 
Each  may  hereafter  trust  the  other’s  faith.’  40s 

“  She  spake,  and  I  replied  :  ‘  How  canst  thou  ask, 
O  Circe,  that  I  gently  deal  with  thee, 

Since  thou,  in  thine  own  palace,  hast  transformed 
My  friends  to  swine,  and  plot'test  even  now 
To  keep  me  with  thee,  luring  me  to  pass  410 

Into  thy  chamber  and  to  share  thy  couch, 

That  thou  mayst  strip  me  of  my  manly  strength 
I  come  not  to  thy  couch  till  thou  engage, 

O  goddess,  by  a  solemn  oath,  that  thou 
Wilt  never  seek  to  do  me  further  harm.’  41s 

“  I  spake  ;  she  straightway  took  the  oath  required, 
And,  after  it  was  uttered  and  confirmed, 

Up  to  her  sumptuous  couch  I  went.  Meanwhile 
Four  diligent  maidens  ministered  within 
The  palace,  —  servants  of  the  household  they,  420 
Who  had  their  birth  from  fountains  and  from  groves, 
And  sacred  rivers  flowing  to  the  sea. 

One  spread  the  thrones  with  gorgeous  coverings ; 
Above  was  purple  arras,  and  beneath 
Were  linen  webs  ;  another,  setting  forth  425 

The  silver  tables  just  before  the  thrones, 

Placed  on  them  canisters  of  gold  ;  a  third 
Mingled  the  rich  wines  in  a  silver  bowl, 

And  placed  the  golden  cups ;  and,  last,  the  fourth 
Brought  water  from  the  fountain,  and  beneath  430 
A  massive  tripod  kindled  a  great  fire 


Book  X. 


215 


And  warmed  the  water.  When  it  boiled  within 
The  shining  brass,  she  led  me  to  the  bath, 

And  washed  me  from  the  tripod.  On  my  head 
And  shoulders  pleasantly  she  shed  the  streams  43s 
That  from  my  members  took  away  the  sense 
Of  weariness,  unmanning  body  and  mind. 

And  when  she  thus  had  bathed  me  and  with  oil 
Anointed  me,  she  put  a  princely  cloak 
And  tunic  on  me,  led  me  in,  and  showed  440 

My  seat,  —  a  stately  silver-studded  throne, 
High-wrought,  —  and  placed  a  footstool  for  my  feet. 
Then  came  a  handmaid  with  a  golden  ewer, 

And  from  it  poured  pure  water  for  my  hands 
Into  a  silver  laver.  Next  she  placed  443 

A  polished  table  near  to  me,  on  which 
The  matron  of  the  palace  laid  the  feast, 

With  many  delicacies  from  her  store, 

And  bade  me  eat.  The  banquet  pleased  me  not. 
My  thoughts  were  elsewhere  ;  dark  imaginings  45° 
Were  in  my  mind.  When  Circe  marked  my  mood, 
As  in  a  gloomy  revery  I  sat, 

And  put  not  forth  my  hands  to  touch  the  feast, 

She  came  to  me  and  spake  these  winged  words  :  — 
“  ‘Why  sittest  thou  like  one  who  has  no  power  433 
Of  speech,  Ulysses,  wrapt  in  thoughts  that  gnaw 
Thy  heart,  and  tasting  neither  food  nor  wine? 

Still  dost  thou  dream  of  fraud  ?  It  is  not  well 
That  thou  shouldst  fear  it  longer,  since  I  pledged 
Myself  against  it  with  a  mighty  oath.’  460 


2 1 6  1  he  Odyssey. 

“  She  spake,  and  I  replied  :  ‘  What  man  whose 
heart 

Is  faithful  could  endure  to  taste  of  food 
Or  wine  till  he  should  see  his  captive  friends 
Once  more  at  large  ?  If  with  a  kind  intent 
Thou  bidst  me  eat  and  drink,  let  me  behold  465 
With  mine  own  eyes  my  dear  companions  free/ 

“  I  spake  ;  and  Circe  took  her  wand  and  went 
Forth  from  her  halls,  and,  opening  the  gate 
That  closed  the  sty,  drove  forth  what  seemed  a  herd 
Of  swine  in  their  ninth  year.  They  ranged  them¬ 
selves  470 

Before  her,  and  she  went  from  each  to  each 
And  shed  on  them  another  drug.  Forthwith 
Fell  from  their  limbs  the  bristles  which  had  grown 
All  over  them,  when  mighty  Circe  gave 
At  first  the  baleful  potion.  Now  again  475 

My  friends  were  men,  and  younger  than  before, 
And  of  a  nobler  mien  and  statelier  growth. 

They  knew  me  all ;  and  each  one  pressed  my  hand 
In  his,  and  there  were  tears  and  sobs  of  joy 
That  sounded  through  the  palace.  Circe  too  480 
Was  moved,  the  mighty  goddess  ;  she  drew  near 
And  stood  by  me,  and  spake  these  winged  words  :  — 
“  ‘  Son  of  Laertes,  nobly  born  and  wise, 

Ulysses  !  go  to  thy  good  ship  beside 

The  sea  and  draw  it  up  the  beach,  and  hide  48s 

The  goods  and  weapons  in  the  caverns  there, 

And  come  thou  back  and  bring  with  thee  thy  friends/ 


Book  X. 


217 


“  She  spake,  and  easily  my  generous  mind 
Was  moved  by  what  she  said.  Forthwith  I  went 
To  my  good  ship  beside  the  sea,  and  found  490 
My  friends  in  tears,  lamenting  bitterly. 

As  in  some  grange  the  calves  come  leaping  round 
A  herd  of  kine  returning  to  the  stall 
From  grassy  fields  where  they  have  grazed  their  fill, 
Nor  can  the  stall  contain  the  young  which  spring  49s 
Around  their  mothers  with  continual  bleat ; 

So  when  my  comrades  saw  me  through  their  tears, 
They  sprang  to  meet  me,  and  their  joy  was  such 
As  if  they  were  in  their  own  native  land 
And  their  own  city,  on  the  rugged  coast  5°° 

Of  Ithaca,  where  they  were  born  and  reared  ; 

And  as  they  wept  they  spake  these  winged  words  :  — 
“  ‘O  foster-child  of  Jove  !  we  welcome  thee 
On  thy  return  with  a  delight  as  great 
As  if  we  all  had  reached  again  the  land  s°s 

That  gave  us  birth,  our  Ithaca.  And  now 
Tell  by  what  death  our  other  friends  have  died.’ 
“They  spake;  I  answered  with  consoling 
words  :  — 

‘  First  draw  our  galley  up  the  beach,  and  hide 
Our  goods  and  all  our  weapons  in  the  caves,  51° 
And  then  let  all  make  haste  to  follow  me, 

And  see  our  friends  in  Circe’s  sacred  halls, 

Eating  and  drinking  at  the  plenteous  board.’ 

“  I  spake  ;  and  cheerfully  my  men  obeyed, 

Save  that  Eurylochus  alone  essayed  51s 


VOL.  1. 


10 


21  8 


The  Odyssey. 


To  hold  them  back,  and  spake  these  winged  words : — • 
“  ‘  Ah,  whither  are  we  going,  wretched  ones  ? 

Are  ye  so  eager  for  an  evil  fate, 

That  ye  must  go  where  Circe  dwells,  who  waits 
.To  turn  us  into  lions,  swine,  or  wolves,  520 

Forced  to  remain  and  guard  her  spacious  house  ? 

So  was  it  with  the  Cyclops,  when  our  friends 
Went  with  this  daring  chief  to  his  abode. 

And  perished  there  through  his  foolhardiness.’ 

“  He  spake ;  and  then  I  thought  to  draw  my 
sword  525 

From  my  stout  thigh,  and  with  the  trenchant  blade 
Strike  off  his  head  and  let  it  fall  to  earth, 

Though  he  were  my  near  kinsman  ;  yet  the  rest 
Restrained  me,  each  one  speaking  kindly  words  :  — 
“  ‘Nay,  foster-child  of  Jove!  if  thou  consent,  530 
This  man  shall  stay  behind  and  with  the  ship, 

And  he  shall  guard  the  ship,  but  lead  us  thou 
To  where  the  sacred  halls  of  Circe  stand.’ 

“  They  spake,  and  from  the  ship  and  shore  went  up 
Into  the  land,  nor  was  Eurylochus  535 

Left  with  the  ship ;  he  followed,  for  he  feared 
My  terrible  threat  Meantime  had  Circe  bathed 
My  comrades  at  the  palace,  and  with  oil 
Anointed  them,  and  robed  them  in  fair  cloaks 
And  tunics.  There  we  found  them  banqueting.  540 
When  they  and  those  who  came  with  me  beheld 
Each  other,  and  the  memory  of  the  past 
Came  back  to  them,  they  wept  abundantly, 


Book  X. 


219 


And  all  the  palace  echoed  with  their  sobs. 

And  then  the  mighty  goddess  came  and  said  :  —  54s 

“  1  Son  of  Laertes,  nobly  born  and  wise, 

Prolong  thou  not  these  sorrows.  Well  I  know 
What  ye  have -suffered  on  the  fishy  deep, 

And  all  the  evil  that  malignant  men 

Have  done  to  you  on  land.  Now  take  the  food  550 

Before  you,  drink  the  wine,  till  ye  receive 

Into  your  hearts  the  courage  that  was  yours 

When  long  ago  ye  left  your  fatherland, 

The  rugged  Ithaca.  Ye  are  unnerved 
And  spiritless  with  thinking  constantly  55s 

On  your  long  wanderings,  and  your  minds  allow 
No  space  for  mirth,  for  ye  have  suffered  much.’ 

“  She  spake  ;  her  words  persuaded  easily 
Our  generous  minds,  and  there  from  day  to  day 
We  lingered  a  full  year,  and  banqueted  560 

Nobly  on  plenteous  meats  and  delicate  wines. 

But  when  the  year  was  ended,  and  the  hours 
Renewed  their  circle,  my  beloved  friends 
From  Circe’s  palace  called  me  forth  and  said  :  — 

“  £  Good  chief,  do  not  forget  thy  native  land,  s«5 
If  fate  indeed  permit  that  ever  thou 
Return  in  safety  to  that  lofty  pile 
Thy  palace  in  the  country  of  thy  birth. 

“So  spake  they,  and  my  generous  mind  was  moved. 
All  that  day  long  until  the  set  of  sun  570 

We  sat  and  feasted  on  the  abundant  meats 
And  delicate  wines ;  and  when  the  sun  went  down 


220 


The  Odyssey . 


They  took  their  rest  within  the  darkened  halls, 
While  I  to  Circe’s  sumptuous  couch  went  up, 

A  suppliant  at  her  knees.  The  goddess  heard  573 
My  prayer,  as  thus  in  winged  words  I  said  :  — 

*  ‘“O  Circe !  make,  I  pray,  the  promise  good 
Which  thou  hast  given,  to  send  me  to  my  home. 

My  heart  is  pining  for  it,  and  the  hearts 

Of  all  my  friends,  who  weary  out  my  life  58a 

Lamenting  round  me  when  thou  art  not  nigh.’ 

“  I  spake  ;  the  mighty  goddess  thus  replied  :  — 

‘  Son  of  Laertes,  nobly  born  and  wise, 

Ulysses  !  ye  must  not  remain  with  me 
Unwillingly;  but  ye  have  yet  to  make  583 

Another  voyage,  and  must  visit  first 
The  abode  of  Pluto,  and  of  Proserpine 
His  dreaded  queen,  and  there  consult  the  soul 
Of  the  blind  seer  Tiresias,  —  him  of  Thebes, — 
Whose  intellect  was  spared  ;  for  Proserpine  590 
Gave  back  to  him  in  death  the  power  of  mind, 

That  only  he  might  know  of  things  to  come. 

The  rest  are  shades  that  flit  from  place  to  place.’ 

“  Thus  spake  the  goddess ;  and  my  heart  was 
wrung 

With  sorrow,  and  I  sat  upon  the  couch  595 

And  wept,  nor  could  I  longer  wish  to  live 
And  see  the  light  of  day.  But  when  my  grief, 

With  shedding  tears  and  tossing  where  I  sat, 

Was  somewhat  spent,  I  spake  to  Circe  thus  :  — 

“  ‘  O  Circe,  who  will  guide  me  when  I  make 


600 


Book  X. 


221 


This  voyage?  for  no  galley  built  by  man 
Has  ever  yet  arrived  at  Pluto’s  realm.’ 

“  I  spake  ;  the  mighty  goddess  answered  me  :  — 
‘  Son  of  Laertes,  nobly  born  and  wise, 

Take  thou  no  thought  of  who  shall  guide  thy  bark,  6oS 
But  raise  the  mast  and  spread  the  glimmering  sail, 
And  seat  thyself,  and  let  the  north-wind  waft 
Thy  galley  on.  As  soon  as  thou  shalt  cross 
Oceanus,  and  come  to  the  low  shore 
And  groves  of  Proserpine,  the  lofty  groups  6*> 

Of  poplars,  and  the  willows  that  let  fall 
Their  withered  fruit,  moor  thou  thy  galley  there 
In  the  deep  eddies  of  Oceanus, 

And  pass  to  Pluto’s  comfortless  abode. 

There  into  Acheron  are  poured  the  streams  615 
Of  Pyriphlegethon,  and  of  that  arm 
Of  Styx,  Cocytus.  At  the  place  where  meet 
The  ever-roaring  waters  stands  a  rock  ; 

Draw  near  to  that,  and  there  I  bid  thee  scoop 
In  earth  a  trench,  a  cubit  long  and  wide.  620 

And  round  about  it  pour  to  all  the  dead 
Libations,  —  milk  and  honey  first,  and  next 
Rich  wine,  and  lastly  water,  scattering 
White  meal  upon  them.  Offer  there  thy  prayer 
Fervently  to  that  troop  of  airy  forms,  625 

And  make  the  vow  that  thou  wilt  sacrifice, 

When  thou  at  last  shalt  come  to  Ithaca, 

A  heifer  without  blemish,  barren  yet, 

In  thine  own  courts,  and  heap  the  altar-pyre 


222 


The  Odyssey. 


With  things  of  price  ;  and  to  the  seer  alone,  630 
Tiresias,  by  himself,  a  ram  whose  fleece 
Is  wholly  black,  the  best  of  all  thy  flocks. 

And  after  thou  hast  duly  offered  prayer 
To  all  the  illustrious  nations  of  the  dead, 

Then  sacrifice  a  ram  and  a  black  ewe,  633 

Their  faces  turned  toward  Erebus,  but  thine 
The  other  way  and  toward  the  river  streams. 
Thither  the  souls  of  those  who  died  will  flock 
In  multitudes.  Then  call  thy  friends,  and  give 
Command  to  flay  in  haste  the  sheep  that  lie  640 
Slain  by  the  cruel  brass,  and,  burning  there 
The  carcasses,  pay  worship  to  the  gods,  — ■ 

The  powerful  Pluto  and  dread  Proserpine. 

Draw  then  the  sword  upon  thy  thigh,  and  sit, 

And  suffer  none  of  all  those  airy  forms  643 

To  touch  the  blood  until  thou  first  bespeak 
Tiresias.  He  will  come,  and  speedily, — 

The  leader  of  the  people,  —  and  will  tell 
What  voyage  thou  must  make,  what  length  of  way 
Thou  yet  must  measure,  and  will  show  thee  how  630 
Thou  may st  return  across  the  fishy  deep.’ 

“  She  spake ;  and  while  she  spake  the  Morn 
looked  forth 

Upon  her  golden  throne.  The  Nymph  bestowed 
On  me  a  cloak  and  tunic,  and  arrayed 
Herself  in  a  white  robe  with  ample  folds,  —  655 

A  delicate  web  and  graceful.  Round  her  loins 
She  clasped  a  shining  zone  of  gold,  and  hung 


« 


Book  X. 


223 


A  veil  upon  her  forehead.  Forth  I  went 
Throughout  the  palace  and  aroused  my  friends, 
And  thus  I  said  in  cheerful  tones  to  each  :  —  660 

“  ‘  No  longer  give  yourselves  to  idle  rest 
And  pleasant  slumber ;  we  are  to  depart. 

The  gracious  Circe  counsels  us  to  go.’ 

“  I  spake,  and  easily  their  generous  minds 
Inclined  to  me.  Yet  brought  I  not  away  665 

All  my  companions  safely  from  the  isle. 

Elpenor  was  the  youngest  of  our  band, 

Not  brave  in  war  was  he,  nor  wise  in  thought. 

He,  overcome  with  wine,  and  for  the  sake 
Of  coolness,  had  lain  down  to  sleep,  apart  e7o 

From  all  the  rest,  in  Circe’s  sacred  house ; 

And  as  my  friends  bestirred  themselves,  the  noise 
And  tumult  roused  him  ;  he  forgot  to  come 
By  the  long  staircase  ;  headlong  from  the  roof 
He  plunged  ;  his  neck  was  broken  at  the  spine,  675 
And  his  soul  went  to  the  abode  of  death. 

“  My  friends  came  round  me,  and  I  said  to 
them  :  — 

*  Haply  your  thought  may  be  that  you  are  bound 
For  the  dear  country  of  your  birth  ;  but  know 
That  Circe  sends  us  elsewhere,  to  consult  eso 

The  Theban  seer,  Tiresias,  in  the  abode 
Of  Pluto  and  the  dreaded  Proserpine.’ 

“  I  spake,  and  their  hearts  failed  them  as  the) 
heard  ; 

They  sat  them  down,  and  wept,  and  tore  their  hair, 


224 


The  Odyssey. 


But  fruitless  were  their  sorrow  and  their  tears.  683 
“  Thus  as  we  sadly  moved  to  our  good  ship 
Upon  the  sea-shore,  weeping  all  the  while, 

Circe,  meantime,  had  visited  its  deck, 

And  there  had  bound  a  ram  and  a  black  ewe 
By  means  we  saw  not ;  for  what  eye  discerns  690 
The  presence  of  a  deity,  who  moves 
From  place  to  place,  and  wills  not  to  be  seen?” 


BOOK  XI. 


OW,  when  we  reached  our  galley  by  the  shore, 


X  ^1  We  drew  it  first  into  the  mighty  deep, 

And  set  the  mast  and  sails,  and  led  on  board 
The  sheep,  and  sorrowfully  and  in  tears 
Embarked  ourselves.  The  fair-haired  and  august  s 
Circe,  expert  in  music,  sent  with  us 
A  kindly  fellow-voyager,  —  a  wind 
That  breathed  behind  the  dark-prowed  bark,  and 
swelled 

The  sails ;  and  now,  with  all  things  in  their  place 
Throughout  the  ship,  we  sat  us  down,  —  the  breeze  10 
And  helmsman  guiding  us  upon  our  way. 

All  day  our  sails  were  stretched,  as  o’er  the  deep 
Our  vessel  ran  ;  the  sun  went  down  ;  the  paths 
Of  the  great  sea  were  darkened,  and  our  bark 
Reached  the  far  confines  of  Oceanus.  *5 


Book  XI. 


225 


“  There  lies  the  land,  and  there  the  people  dwell 
Of  the  Cimmerians,  in  eternal  cloud 
And  darkness.  Never  does  the  glorious  sun 
Look  on  them  with  his  rays,  when  he  goes  up 
Into  the  starry  sky,  nor  when  again  20 

He  sinks  from  heaven  to  earth.  Unwholesome  night 
O’erhangs  the  wretched  race.  We  touched  the  land, 
And,  drawing  up  our  galley  on  the  beach, 

Took  from  on  board  the  sheep,  and  followed  on 
Beside  the  ocean-stream  until  we  reached  25 

The  place  of  which  the  goddess  Circe  spake. 

“  Here  Perimedes  and  Eurylochus 
Held  in  their  grasp  the  victims,  while  I  drew 
The  trusty  sword  upon  my  thigh,  and  scooped 
A  trench  in  earth,  a  cubit  long  and  wide,  30 

Round  which  we  stood,  and  poured  to  all  the  dead 
Libations,  —  milk  and  honey  first,  and  next 
Rich  wine,  and  lastly  water,  scattering 
White  meal  upon  them.  Then  I  offered  prayer 
Fervently  to  that  troop  of  airy  forms,  33 

And  made  a  vow  that  I  would  sacrifice, 

When  I  at  last  should  come  to  Ithaca, 

A  heifer  without  blemish,  barren  yet, 

In  my  own  courts,  and  heap  the  altar-pyre 
With  things  of  price,  and  to  the  seer  alone,  40 

Tiresias,  by  himself,  a  ram  whose  fleece 
Was  wholly  black,  the  best  of  all  my  flocks. 

“  When  I  had  worshipped  thus  with  prayer  and 


vows 


10* 


o 


226 


The  Odyssey . 


The  nations  of  the  dead,  I  took  the  sheep 
And  pierced  their  throats  above  the  hollow  trench.  4s 
The  blood  flowed  dark ;  and  thronging  round  me 
came 

Souls  of  the  dead  from  Erebus,  —  young  wives 

And  maids  unwedded,  men  worn  out  with  years 

And  toil,  and  virgins  of  a  tender  age 

In  their  new  grief,  and  many  a  warrior  slain  50 

In  battle,  mangled  by  the  spear,  and  clad 

In  bloody  armor,  who  about  the  trench 

Flitted  on  every  side,  now  here,  now  there, 

With  gibbering  cries,  and  I  grew  pale  with  fear. 
Then  calling  to  my  friends,  I  bade  them  flay  55 
The  victims  lying  slaughtered  by  the  knife, 

And,  burning  them  with  fire,  invoke  the  gods,  — 
The  mighty  Pluto  and  dread  Proserpine. 

Then  from  my  thigh  I  drew  the  trusty  sword, 

And  sat  me  down,  and  suffered  none  of  all  60 

/ 

Those  airy  phantoms  to  approach  the  blood 
Until  I  should  bespeak  the  Theban  seer. 

“  And  first  the  soul  of  my  companion  came, 
Elpenor,  for  he  was  not  buried  yet 
In  earth’s  broad  bosom.  We  had  left  him  dead  65 
In  Circb’s  halls,  unwept  and  unentombed. 

We  had  another  task.  But  when  I  now 
Beheld  I  pitied  him,  and,  shedding  tears, 

I  said  these  winged  words  :  ‘How  earnest  thou, 
Elpenor,  hither  into  these  abodes  7° 

Of  night  and  darkness  ?  Thou  hast  made  more 
speed, 


Book  XI. 


227 


Although  on  foot,  than  I  in  my  good  ship.’ 

“  I  spake ;  the  phantom  sobbed  and  answered 
me  :  — 

‘  Son  of  Laertes,  nobly  born  and  wise, 

Ulysses  !  ’t  was  the  evil  doom  decreed  75 

By  some  divinity,  and  too  much  wine, 

That  wrought  my  death.  I  laid  myself  to  sleep 
In  Circe’s  palace,  and,  remembering  not 
The  way  to  the  long  stairs  that  led  below, 

Fell  from  the  roof,  and  by  the  fall  my  neck  8= 
Was  broken  at  the  spine  ;  my  soul  went  dowm 
To  Hades.  I  conjure  thee  now,  by  those 
Whom  thou  hast  left  behind  and  far  awTay, 

Thy  consort  and  thy  father, —  him  by  whom 
Thou  when  a  boy  wert  reared,  —  and  by  thy  son  s5 
Telemachus,  who  in  thy  palace-halls 
Is  left  alone,  —  for  well  I  know  that  thou, 

In  going  hence  from  Pluto’s  realm,  wilt  moor 
Thy  gallant  vessel  in  the  FEsean  isle,  — 

That  there,  O  king,  thou  wilt  remember  me,  90 
And  leave  me  not  when  thou  departest  thence 
Unwept,  unburied,  lest  I  bring  on  thee 
The  anger  of  the  gods.  But  burn  me  there 
With  all  the  armor  that  I  wore,  and  pile, 

Close  to  the  hoary  deep,  a  mound  for  me,  —  95 

A  hapless  man  of  whom  posterity 
Shall  hear.  Do  this  for  me,  and  plant  upright 
Upon  my  tomb  the  oar  with  which  I  rowed, 

While  yet  a  living  man,  among  thy  friends.’ 


228 


The  Odyssey. 


“  He  spake  and  I  replied  :  ‘  Unhappy  youth,  100 
All  this  I  duly  will  perform  for  thee/ 

“  And  then  the  soul  of  Anticleia  came,  — 

My  own  dead  mother,  daughter  of  the  king 
Autolycus,  large-minded.  Her  I  left 
Alive,  what  time  I  sailed  for  Troy,  and  now  io5 
I  wept  to  see  her  there,  and  pitied  her, 

And  yet  forbade  her,  though  with  grief,  to  come 
Near  to  the  blood  till  I  should  first  accost 
Tiresias.  He  too  came,  the  Theban  seer, 

Tiresias,  bearing  in  his  hand  a  wand  no 

Of  gold  ;  he  knew  me  and  bespake  me  thus  :  — 

“  ‘  Why,  O  unhappy  mortal,  hast  thou  left 
The  light  of  day  to  come  among  the  dead 
And  to  this  joyless  land  ?  Go  from  the  trench 
And  turn  thy  sword  away,  that  I  may  drink  ns 
The  blood,  and  speak  the  word  of  prophecy.’ 

“  He  spake  ;  withdrawing  from  the  trench,  I  thrust 
Into  its  sheath  my  silver-studded  sword, 

And  after  drinking  of  the  dark  red  blood 
The  blameless  prophet  turned  to  me  and  said  : —  120 
“  6  Illustrious  chief  Ulysses,  thy  desire 
Is  for  a  happy  passage  to  thy  home, 

Yet  will  a  god  withstand  thee.  Not  unmarked 
By  Neptune  shalt  thou,  as  I  deem,  proceed 
Upon  thy  voyage.  He  hath  laid  up  wrath  125 

Against  thee  in  his  heart,  for  that  thy  hand 
Deprived  his  son  of  sight.  Yet  may  ye  still 
Return,  though  after  many  hardships  borne, 


Book  XI. 


229 


If  thou  but  hold  thy  appetite  in  check, 

And  that  of  thy  companions,  when  thou  bring  130 
Thy  gallant  bark  to  the  Trinacrian  isle, 

Safe  from  the  gloomy  deep.  There  will  ye  find 
The  beeves  and  fatling  wethers  of  the  Sun,  — 

The  all-beholding  and  all-hearing  Sun. 

If  these  ye  leave  unharmed,  and  keep  in  mind  13s 
The  thought  of  your  return,  ye  may  go  back, 
Though  sufferers,  to  your  home  in  Ithaca ; 

But  if  thou  do  them  harm,  the  event  will  be 
Destruction  to  thy  ship  and  to  its  crew ; 

And  thou,  if  thou  escape  it,  wilt  return  140 

Late  to  thy  country,  all  thy  comrades  lost, 

And  in  a  foreign  bark,  and  thou  shalt  find 
Wrong  in  thy  household,  — arrogant  men  who  waste 
Thy  substance,  wooers  of  thy  noble  wife, 

And  offering  bridal  gifts.  On  thy  return  14s 

Thou  shalt  avenge  thee  of  their  violent  deeds ; 

And  when  thou  shalt  have  slain  them  in  thy  halls, 
Whether  by  stratagem  or  by  the  sword 
In  open  fight,  then  take  a  shapely  oar 
And  journey  on,  until  thou  meet  with  men  15° 

Who  have  not  known  the  sea  nor  eaten  food 
Seasoned  with  salt,  nor  ever  have  beheld 
Galleys  with  crimson  prows,  nor  shapely  oars, 
Which  are  the  wings  of  ships.  I  will  declare 
A  sign  by  which  to  know  them,  nor  canst  thou  rSs 
Mistake  it.  When  a  traveller,  meeting  thee, 

Shalt  say  that  thou  dost  bear  a  winnowing-fan 


230 


The  Odyssey. 


Upon  thy  sturdy  shoulder,  stop  and  plant 
Thy  shapely  oar  upright  in  earth,  and  there 
Pay  to  King  Neptune  solemn  sacrifice, —  ifc 

A  ram,  a  bull,  and  from  his  herd  of  swine 
A  boar.  And  then  returning  to  thy  home, 

See  that  thou  offer  hallowed  hecatombs 

To  all  the  ever-living  ones  who  dwell 

In  the  broad  heaven,  to  each  in  order  due.  *65 

So  at  the  last  thy  death  shall  come  to  thee 

Far  from  the  sea,  and  gently  take  thee  off 

In  a  serene  old  age  that  ends  among 

A  happy  people.  I  have  told  thee  true/ 

“He  spake,  and  thus  I  answered  him  :  ‘The 
gods,  170 

Tiresias,  have  decreed  as  thou  hast  said. 

But  tell,  and  tell  me  truly,  —  I  behold 
The  soul  of  my  dead  mother  ;  there  she  sits 
In  silence  by  the  blood,  and  will  not  deign 
To  look  upon  her  son  nor  speak  to  him.  17s 

Instruct  me,  mighty  prophet,  by  what  means 
To  make  my  mother  know  me  for  her  son.’ 

“I  spake,  and  instantly  the  seer  replied  :  — 

‘  Easily  that  is  told ;  I  give  it  thee 
To  bear  in  mind.  Whoever  of  the  dead  i&> 

Thou  sufferest  to  approach  and  drink  the  blood 
Will  speak  the  truth ;  those  whom  thou  dost  forbid 
To  taste  the  blood  will  silently  withdraw/ 

“  The  soul  of  King  Tiresias,  saying  this, 

Passed  to  the  abode  of  Pluto  ;  he  had  given  185 


Book  XI. 


23 1 


The  oracle  I  asked.  I  waited  still 
Until  my  mother,  drawing  near  again, 

Drank  the  dark  blood ;  she  knew  me  suddenly, 
And  said  in  piteous  tones  these  winged  words  :  — 

“  ‘  How  didst  thou  come,  my  child,  a  living  man, 
Into  this  place  of  darkness?  Difficult  19* 

It  is  for  those  who  breathe  the  breath  of  life 
To  visit  these  abodes,  through  which  are  rolled 
Great  rivers,  fearful  floods,  —  the  first  of  these 
Oceanus,  whose  waters  none  can  cross  195 

On  foot,  or  save  on  board  a  trusty  bark. 

Hast  thou  come  hither  on  thy  way  from  Troy, 

A  weary  wanderer  with  thy  ship  and  friends  ? 

And  hast  thou  not  been  yet  at  Ithaca, 

Nor  in  thine  island  palace  seen  thy  wife?’  200 

“  She  spake,  I  answered  :  ‘  ’T  is  necessity, 

Dear  mother,  that  has  brought  me  to  the  abode 
Of  Pluto,  to  consult  the  Theban  seer, 

Tiresias.  Not  to  the  Achaian  coast 

Have  I  returned,  nor  reached  our  country,  yet  205 

Continually  I  wander ;  everywhere 

I  meet  misfortune,  —  even  from  the  time 

When,  in  the  noble  Agamemnon’s  train, 

I  came  to  Ilium,  famed  for  steeds,  and  made 
War  on  its  dwellers.  Tell  me  now,  I  pray,  21° 
And  truly,  how  it  was  that  fate  on  thee 
Brought  the  long  sleep  of  death  ?  by  slow  disease  ? 
Or,  stealing  on  thee,  did  the  archer-queen, 

Diana,  slay  thee  with  her  silent  shafts  ? 


232 


The  Odyssey. 


And  tell  me  of  my  father,  and  the  son  215 

Left  in  my  palace.  Rests  the  sway  I  bore 
On  them,  or  has  another  taken  it, 

Since  men  believe  I  shall  return  no  more  ? 

And  tell  me  of  my  wedded  wife,  her  thoughts 
And  purposes,  and  whether  she  remains  2=0 

Yet  with  my  son.  Is  she  the  guardian  still 
Of  my  estates,  or  has  the  noblest  chief 
Of  those  Achaians  led  her  thence  a  bride  ?  ’ 

“  I  spake  ;  my  reverend  mother  answered  thus  :  — 
‘  Most  certain  is  it  that  she  sadly  dwells 
Still  in  thy  palace.  Weary  days  and  nights 
And  tears  are  hers.  No  man  has  taken  yet 
Thy  place  as  ruler,  but  Telemachus 
Still  has  the  charge  of  thy  domain,  and  gives 
The  liberal  feasts  which  it  befits  a  prince  230 

To  give,  for  all  invite  him.  In  the  fields 
Thy  father  dwells,  and  never  in  the  town 
Is  seen ;  nor  beds  nor  cloaks  has  he,  nor  mats 
Of  rich  device,  but,  all  the  winter  through, 

He  sleeps  where  sleep  the  laborers,  on  the  hearth,  23s 
Amid  the  dust,  and  wears  a  wretched  garb ; 

And  when  the  summer  comes,  or  autumn  days 
Ripen  the  fruit,  his  bed  is  on  the  ground, 

And  made  of  leaves,  that  everywhere  are  shed 
In  the  rich  vineyards.  There  he  lies  and  grieves,  24a 
And,  cherishing  his  sorrow,  mourns  thy  fate, 

And  keenly  feels  the  miseries  of  age. 

And  thus  I  underwent  my  fate  and  died ; 


Book  XT. 


233 


For  not  the  goddess  of  the  unerring  bow 
Stealing  upon  me  smote  me  in  thy  halls  245 

With  silent  arrows,  nor  did  slow  disease 
Come  o’er  me,  such  as,  wasting  cruelly 
The  members,  takes  at  last  the  life  away ; 

But  constant  longing  for  thee,  anxious  thoughts 
Of  thee,  and  memory  of  thy  gentleness,  250 

Ulysses,  made  an  end  of  my  sweet  life.’ 

“  She  spake ;  I  longed  to  take  into  my  arms 
The  soul  of  my  dead  mother.  Thrice  I  tried, 
Moved  by  a  strong  desire,  and  thrice  the  form 
Passed  through  them  like  a  shadow  or  a  dream.  25? 
And  then  did  the  great  sorrow  in  my  heart 
Grow  sharper,  and  in  winged  words  I  said :  — 

“  ‘  Beloved  mother,  why  wilt  thou  not  keep 
Thy  place,  that  I  may  clasp  thee,  so  that  here, 

In  Pluto’s  realm  and  in  each  other’s  arms,  260 

We  each  might  in  the  other  soothe  the  sense 
Of  misery  ?  Hath  mighty  Proserpine 
Sent  but  an  empty  shade  to  meet  me  here, 

That  I  might  only  grieve  and  sigh  the  more?’ 

“  I  spake,  and  then  my  reverend  mother  said  :  — 

1  Believe  not  that  Jove’s  daughter  Proserpine  266 
Deceives  thee.  ’T  is  the  lot  of  all  our  race 
When  they  are  dead.  No  more  the  sinews  bind 
The  bones  and  flesh,  when  once  from  the  white 
bones 

The  life  departs.  Then  like  a  dream  the  soul 
Flies  off,  and  flits  about  from  place  to  place. 


270 


234 


The  Odyssey. 


But  haste  thou  to  the  light  again,  and  mark 
What  I  have  said,  that  thou  in  after  days 
Mayst  tell  it  to  thy  wife  on  thy  return.’ 

“Thus  we  conferred.  Meantime  the  women 
came  vi 

Around  me,  moved  by  mighty  Proserpine ; 

In  throngs  they  gathered  to  the  dark  red  blood. 
Then,  as  I  pondered  how  to  question  each, 

This  seemed  the  wisest,  —  from  my  sturdy  thigh 
I  plucked  the  trenchant  sword,  and  suffered  not  230 
All  that  were  there  to  taste  the  blood  at  once ; 

So  one  by  one  they  came,  and  each  in  turn 
Declared  her  lineage.  Thus  I  questioned  all. 

“  Then  saw  I  high-born  Tyro  first,  who  claimed 
To  be  the  daughter  of  that  blameless  man  =35 

''O 

Salmoneus,  and  who  called  herself  the  wife 
Of  Cretheus,  son  of  yEolus.  She  loved 
Enipeus,  hallowed  river,  fairest  stream 
Of  all  that  flow  on  earth,  and  often  walked 
Beside  its  pleasant  waters.  He  whose  arms  290 
Surround  the  islands,  Neptune,  once  put  on 
The  river’s  form,  and  at  its  gulfy  mouth 
Met  her  ;  the  purple  waters  stood  upright 
Around  them  like  a  wall,  and  formed  an  arch, 

And  hid  the  god  and  woman.  There  he  loosed  29s 
The  virgin  zone  of  Tyro,  shedding  sleep 
Upon  her.  Afterward  he  took  her  hand 
And  said  :  ‘  Rejoice,  O  maiden,  in  our  love, 

For  with  the  year’s  return  shalt  thou  bring  forth 


Book  XI. 


235 


Illustrious  sons  ;  the  embraces  of  the  gods  300 
Are  not  unfruitful.  Rear  them  carefully. 

And  now  return  to  thy  abode,  and  watch 

Thy  words,  and  keep  thy  secret.  Thou  must  know 

That  I  am  Neptune,  he  who  shakes  the  earth.’ 

“  He  spake,  and  plunged  into  the  billowy  deep. 
And  she  became  a  mother,  and  brought  forth  305 
Pelias  and  Neleus,  valiant  ministers 
Of  mighty  Jupiter.  On  the  broad  lands 
Of  Iaolchos  Pelias  dwelt,  and  reared 
Vast  flocks  of  sheep,  while  Neleus  made  his  home 
In  Pylos  midst  the  sands.  The  queenly  dame,'  3” 
His  mother,  meanwhile  brought  forth  other  sons 
To  Cretheus,  —  ZEson  first,  and  Pheres  next, 

And  Amythaon,  great  in  horsemanship. 

“  And  after  her  I  saw  Antiope,  315 

The  daughter  of  Asopus,  —  her  who  made 
A  boast  that  she  had  slumbered  in  the  arms 
Of  Jove.  Two  sons  she  bore,  —  Amphion  one, 

The  other  Zethus,  —  and  they  founded  Thebes 
With  its  seven  gates,  and  girt  it  round  with  towers  ; 
For,  valiant  as  they  were,  they  could  not  dwell  321 
Safely  in  that  great  town  unfenced  by  towers. 

“  And  after  her  I  saw  Amphitryon’s  wife, 
Alcmena,  her  who  brought  forth  Hercules, 

The  dauntless  hero  of  the  lion-heart,  —  323 

For  she  had  given  herself  into  the  arms 
Of  mighty  Jupiter.  I  also  saw 
Megara  there,  a  daughter  of  the  house 


23*5 


The  Odyssey. 


Of  haughty  Creion.  Her  Amphitryon’s  son, 
Untamable  in  strength,  had  made  his  wife.  330 

“The  mother,  too,  of  CEdipus  I  saw, 

Beautiful  Epicaste,  who  in  life 

Had  done  unwittingly  a  heinous  deed,  — 

Had  married  her  own  son,  who,  having  slain 
Her  father  first,  espoused  her ;  but  the  gods  33s 
Published  abroad  the  rumor  of  the  crime. 

He  in  the  pleasant  town  of  Thebes  bore  sway 
O’er  the  Cadmeians ;  yet  in  misery 
He  lived,  for  so  the  offended  gods  ordained. 

And  she  went  down  to  Hades  and  the  gates  340 
That  stand  forever  barred ;  for,  wild  with  grief, 

She  slung  a  cord  upon  a  lofty  beam 
And  perished  by  it,  leaving  him  to  bear 
Woes  without  measure,  such  as  on  a  son 
The  furies  of  a  mother  might  inflict.  345 

“  And  there  I  saw  the  dame  supremely  fair, 
Chloris,  whom  Neleus  with  large  marriage-gifts 
Wooed,  and  brought  home  a  bride ;  the  youngest 
she 

Among  the  daughters  of  Iasus’  son, 

Amphion,  ruler  o’er  Orchomenus,  35° 

The  Minyeian  town,  and  o’er  the  realm 
Of  Pylos.  Three  illustrious  sons  she  bore 
To  Neleus,  —  Nestor,  Chromius,  and  a  chief 
Of  lofty  bearing,  Periclymenus. 

She  brought  forth  Pero  also,  marvellous  355 

In  beauty,  wooed  by  all  the  region  round  ; 


Book  XI. 


237 


But  Neleus  would  bestow  the  maid  on  none 
Save  him  who  should  drive  off  from  Phylace 
The  beeves,  broad-fronted  and  with  crooked  horns, 
Of  valiant  Iphicles,  —  a  difficult  task.  360 

One  man  alone,  a  blameless  prophet,  dared 
Attempt  it ;  but  he  found  himself  withstood 
By  fate,  and  rigid  fetters,  and  a  force 
Of  rustic  herdsmen.  Months  and  days  went  by, 
And  the  full  year,  led  by  the  hours,  came  round.  365 
The  valiant  Iphicles,  who  from  the  seer 
Had  heard  the  oracles  explained,  took  off 
The  shackles,  and  the  will  of  Jove  was  done. 

“  Then  saw  I  Leda,  wife  of  Tyndarus, 

Who  bore  to  Tyndarus  two  noble  sons,  370 

Castor  the  horseman,  Pollux  skilled  to  wield 
The  cestus.  Both  of  them  have  still  a  place 
Upon  the  fruitful  earth  ;  for  Jupiter 
Gave  them  such  honor  that  they  live  by  turns 
Each  one  a  day,  and  then  are  with  the  dead  37s 
Each  one  by  turns  ;  they  rank  among  the  gods. 

“  The  wife  of  Aloeus  next  appeared, 

Iphidameia,  who,  as  she  declared, 

Had  won  the  love  of  Neptune.  She  brought  forth 
Two  short-lived  sons,  — one  like  a  god  in  form,  380 
Named  Otus ;  and  the  other,  far  renowned, 

Named  Ephialtes.  These  the  bounteous  earth 
Nourished  to  be  the  tallest  of  mankind, 

And  goodliest,  save  Orion.  When  the  twain 
Had  seen  but  nine  years  of  their  life,  they  stood  383 


238 


The  Odyssey. 


In  breadth  of  frame  nine  cubits,  and  in  height 
Nine  fathoms.  They  against  the  living  gods 
Threatened  to  wage,  upon  the  Olympian  height, 
Fierce  and  tumultuous  battle,  and  to  fling 
Ossa  upon  Olympus,  and  to  pile  39= 

Pelion,  with  all  its  growth  of  leafy  woods, 

On  Ossa,  that  the  heavens  might  thus  be  scaled. 
And  they,  if  they  had  reached  their  prime  of  youth, 
Had  made  their  menace  good.  The  son  of  Jove 
And  amber-haired  Latona  took  their  lives  sss 

Ere  yet  beneath  their  temples  sprang  the  down 
And  covered  with  its  sprouting  tufts  the  chin. 

“  Phaedra  I  saw,  and  Procris,  and  the  child 
Of  the  wise  Minos,  Ariadne,  famed 
For  beauty,  whom  the  hero  Theseus  once  400 

From  Crete  to  hallowed  Athens’  fertile  coast 
Led,  but  possessed  her  not.  Diana  gave 
Ear  to  the  tale  which  Bacchus  brought  to  her, 

And  in  the  isle  of  Dia  slew  the  maid. 

“  And  Maera  I  beheld,  and  Clymene,  405 

And  Eriphyle,  hateful  in  her  guilt, 

Who  sold  her  husband  for  a  price  in  gold. 

But  vainly  might  I  think  to  name  them  all,  — 

The  wives  and  daughters  of  heroic  men 

Whom  I  beheld,  —  for  first  the  ambrosial  night  410 

Would  wear  away.  And  now  for  me  the  hour 

Of  sleep  is  come,  at  my  good  ship  among 

My  friends,  or  haply  here.  Meantime  the  care 

For  my  return  is  with  the  gods  and  you.” 


Book  XI. 


239 


He  spake,  and  all  were  silent  :  all  within  415 
The  shadows  of  those  palace-halls  were  held 
Motionless  by  the  charm  of  what  he  said. 

And  thus  the  white-armed  Queen  Arete  spake  :  — 
“  Phasacians,  how"  appears  this  man  to  you 
In  form,  in  stature,  and  well-judging  mind  ?  4» 

My  guest  he  is,  but  each  among  you  shares 
The  honor  of  the  occasion.  Now,  I  pray, 

Dismiss  him  not  in  haste,  nor  sparingly 
Bestow  your  gifts  on  one  in  so  much  need ; 

For  in  your  dwellings  is  much  wealth,  bestowed  425 
Upon  you  by  the  bounty  of  the  gods.” 

Then  also  Echeneiis,  aged  chief, 

The  oldest  man  of  the  Phasacians,  spake  :  — 

“  My  friends,  the  word  of  our  sagacious  queen 
Errs  not,  nor  is  ill-timed,  and  yours  it  is  430 

To  hearken  and  obey  :  but  all  depends 
Upon  Alcinoiis,  — both  the  word  and  deed.” 

And  then  in  turn  Alcinoiis  spake  :  “That  word 
Shall  be  fulfilled,  if  I  am  ruler  here 
O’er  the  Phaeacians,  skilled  in  seamanship.  43s 
But  let  the  stranger,  though  he  long  for  home, 

Bear  to  remain  till  morning,  that  his  store 
Of  gifts  may  be  complete.  To  send  him  home 
Shall  be  the  charge  of  all,  but  mostly  mine, 

Since  mine  it  is  to  hold  the  sovereign  power.”  440 
And  then  the  wise  Ulysses  said  :  “  0  King 
Alcinoiis,  eminent  o’er  all  thy  race  ! 

Shouldst  thou  command  me  to  remain  with  thee 


240 


The  Odyssey. 


Even  for  a  twelvemonth,  and  at  length  provide 
For  my  return,  and  give  me  princely  gifts,  445 

Even  that  would  please  me  ;  for  with  fuller  hands, 
The  happier  were  my  lot  on  my  return 
To  my  own  land.  I  should  be  honored  then, 

And  meet  a  kinder  welcome  there  from  all 
Who  see  me  in  my  Ithaca  once  more.”  450 

And  then  again  in  turn  Alcinoiis  spake  :  — 

“  Ulysses,  when  we  look  on  thee,  we  feel 
No  fear  that  thou  art  false,  or  one  of  those, 

The  many,  whom  the  dark  earth  nourishes, 
Wandering  at  large,  and  forging  lies,  that  we  455 
May  not  suspect  them.  Thou  hast  grace  of  speech 
And  noble  thoughts,  and  fitly  hast  thou  told, 

Even  as  a  minstrel  might,  the  history 
Of  all  thy  Argive  brethren  and  thy  own. 

Now  say,  and  frankly,  didst  thou  also  see  460 

Any  of  those  heroic  men  who  went 
With  thee  to  Troy,  and  in  that  region  met 
Their  fate  ?  A  night  immeasurably  long 
Is  yet  before  us.  Let  us  have  thy  tale 
Of  wonders.  I  could  listen  till  the  break  46s 

Of  hallowed  morning,  if  thou  canst  endure 
So  long  to  speak  of  hardships  thou  hast  borne.” 

He  spake,  and  wise  Ulysses  answered  thus  :  — 
u  O  King  Alcinoiis,  eminent  beyond 
All  others  of  thy  people.  For  discourse  470 

There  is  a  time ;  there  is  a  time  for  sleep. 

If  more  thou  yet  wouldst  hear,  I  will  not  spare 


Book  XL 


241 


To  give  the  story  of  the  greater  woes 

Of  my  companions,  who  were  afterward 

Cut  off  from  life  ;  and  though  they  had  escaped  47 5 

The  cruel  Trojan  war,  on  their  return 

They  perished  by  awoan’s  fraud  and  guilt. 

“  When  chaste  Proserpina  had  made  the  ghosts 
Of  women  scatter  right  and  left,  there  came 
The  soul  of  Agamemnon,  Atreus’  son.  4S0 

He  came  attended  by  a  throng  of  those 
Who  in  the  palace  of  ./Egisthus  met 
A  fate  like  his  and  died.  When  he  had  drunk 
The  dark  red  blood,  he  knew  me  at  a  look, 

And  wailed  aloud,  and,  bursting  into  tears,  435 
Stretched  out  his  hands  to  touch  me  ;  but  no  power 
Was  there  of  grasp  or  pressure,  such  as  once 
Dwelt  in  those  active  limbs.  I  could  not  help 
But  weep  at  sight  of  him,  for  from  my  heart 
I  pitied  him,  and  spake  these  winged  words  :  —  490 

“  ‘  Most  glorious  son  of  Atreus,  king  of  men  ! 
How,  Agamemnon,  has  the  fate  that  brings 
To  man  the  everlasting  sleep  of  death 
O’ertaken  thee  ?  Did  Neptune,  calling  up 
The  winds  in  all  their  fury,  make  thy  fleet  493 

A  wreck,  or  did  thine  enemies  on  land 
Smite  thee,  as  thou  wert  driving  off  their  beeves 
And  their  fair  flocks,  or  fighting  to  defend 
Some  city,  and  the  helpless  women  there  ? 9 

“  I  spake,  and  Agamemnon  thus  replied  : —  5°° 

*  Son  of  Laertes,  nobly  born  and  wise, 

VOL.  I.  II  P 


242 


The  Odyssey. 


’T  was  not  that  Neptune  calling  up  the  winds 
In  all  their  fury  wrecked  me  in  my  fleet, 

Nor  hostile  warriors  smote  me  on  the  land, 

But  that  yEgisthus,  bent  upon  my  death,  s°s 

Plotted  against  me  with  my  guilty  wife, 

And  bade  me  to  his  house  and  slew  me  there, 
Even  at  the  banquet,  as  a  hind  might  slay 
A  bullock  at  the  stall.  With  me  they  slew 
My  comrades,  as  a  herd  of  white-toothed  swine  s» 
Are  slaughtered  for  some  man  of  large  estates, 

Who  makes  a  wedding  or  a  solemn  feast. 

Thou  hast  seen  many  perish  by  the  sword 
In  the  hard  battle,  one  by  one,  and  yet 
Thou  wouldst  have  pitied  us,  hadst  thou  beheld  sis 
The  slain  beside  the  wine-jar,  and  beneath 
The  loaded  tables,  while  the  pavement  swam 
With  blood.  I  heard  Cassandra’s  piteous  cry, 

The  cry  of  Priam’s  daughter,  stricken  down 
By  treacherous  Clytemnestra  at  my  side.  520 

And  there  I  lay,  and,  dying,  raised  my  hands 
To  grasp  my  sword.  The  shameless  woman  went 
Her  way,  nor  stayed  to  close  my  eyes,  nor  press 
My  mouth  into  its  place,  although  my  soul 
Was  on  its  way  to  Hades.  There  is  naught  523 
That  lives  more  horrible,  more  lost  to  shame, 

Than  is  the  woman  who  has  brought  her  mind 
To  compass  deeds  like  these,  —  the  wretch  who  plans 
So  foul  a  crime,  —  the  murder  of  the  man 
Whom  she  a  virgin  wedded.  I  had  looked  530 


Book  XI 


243 


For  a  warm  welcome  from  my  children  here, 

And  all  my  household  in  my  ancient  home. 

This  woman,  deep  in  wickedness,  hath  brought 
Disgrace  upon  herself  and  all  her  sex, 

Even  those  who  give  their  thoughts  to  doing  good/  535 

“  He  spake,  and  I  replied  :  ‘  O,  how  the  God 
Who  wields  the  thunder,  Jupiter,  must  hate 
The  house  of  Atreus  for  the  women’s  sake  ! 

At  first  we  fell  by  myriads  in  the  cause 

Of  Helen  ;  Clytemnestra  now  hath  planned  540 

This  guile  against  thee  while  thou  wert  afar.’ 

“  I  spake,  and  instantly  his  answer  came  :  — 
‘Therefore  be  not  compliant  to  thy  wife, 

Nor  let  her  hear  from  thee  whatever  lies 
Within  thy  knowledge.  Tell  her  but  a  part,  545 
And  keep  the  rest  concealed.  Yet  is  thy  life, 
Ulysses,  in  no  danger  from  thy  spouse  : 

For  wise  and  well  instructed  in  the  rules 
Of  virtuous  conduct  is  Penelope, 

The  daughter  of  Icarius.  When  we  went  55° 

To  war,  we  left  her  a  young  bride  ;  a  babe 
Was  at  her  breast,  a  boy,  who  now  must  sit 
Among  grown  men  ;  and  fortunate  is  he, 

For  certainly  his  father  will  behold 

The  youth  on  his  return,  and  he  embrace  533 

His  father,  as  is  meet.  But  as  for  me, 

My  consort  suffered  not  my  eyes  to  feed 
Upon  the  sight  of  my  own  son  ;  for  first 
She  slew  me.  This,  then,  I  admonish  thee,  — 


244 


The  Odyssey. 


Heed  thou  my  words.  Bring  not  thy  ship  to  land 
Openly  in  thy  country,  but  by  stealth, 

Since  now  no  longer  can  we  put  our  trust 
In  woman.  Meantime,  tell  me  of  my  son, 

And  faithfully,  if  thou  hast  heard  of  him 

As  living,  whether  in  Orchomenus,  56s 

Or  sandy  Pylos,  or  in  the  broad  realm 

Of  Menelaus,  Sparta  ;  for  not  yet 

Has  my  Orestes  passed  from  earth  and  life/ 

44  He  spake,  and  I  replied  :  4  Why  ask  of  me 
That  question,  O  Atrides  ?  I  know  not  57° 

Whether  thy  son  be  living  or  be  dead, 

And  this  is  not  a  time  for  idle  words/ 

<£  Thus  in  sad  talk  we  stood,  and  freely  flowed 
Our  tears.  Meanwhile  the  ghosts  of  Peleus’  son 
Achilles,  and  Patroclus,  excellent  57s 

Antilochus,  and  Ajax,  all  drew  near,  — 

Ajax  for  form  and  stature  eminent 

O’er  all  the  Greeks  save  Peleus’  faultless  son. 

Then  did  the  soul  of  fleet  ./Eacides 
Know  me,  and  thus  in  winged  words  he  said  : —  580 
44  4  Ulysses  !  what  hath  moved  thee  to  attempt 
This  greatest  of  thy  labors  ?  How  is  it 
That  thou  hast  found  the  courage  to  descend 
To  Hades,  where  the  dead,  the  bodiless  forms 
Of  those  whose  work  is  done  on  earth,  abide  ?  ’  5S5 

44  He  spake ;  I  answered  :  4  Greatest  of  the 
Greeks ! 

Achilles,  son  of  Peleus  !  ’T  was  to  hear 


Book  XL 


245 


The  counsel  of  Tiresias  that  I  came, 

If  haply  he  might  tell  me  by  what  means 
To  reach  my  rugged  Ithaca  again  ;  590 

For  yet  have  I  not  trod  my  native  coast, 

Nor  even  have  drawn  nigh  to  Greece.  I  meet 
Misfortunes  everywhere.  But  as  for  thee, 

Achilles,  no  man  lived  before  thy  time, 

Nor  will  hereafter  live,  more  fortunate  595 

Than  thou,  —  for  while  alive  we  honored  thee 
As  if  thou  wert  a  god,  and  now  again 
In  these  abodes  thou  rulest  o’er  the  dead ; 
Therefore,  Achilles,  shouldst  thou  not  be  sad.’ 

“  I  spake  ;  Achilles  quickly  answered  me  : —  600 
‘  Noble  Ulysses,  speak  not  thus  of  death, 

As  if  thou  couldst  console  me.  I  would  be 
A  laborer  on  earth,  and  serve  for  hire 
Some  man  of  mean  estate,  who  makes  scant  cheer, 
Rather  than  reign  o’er  all  who  have  gone  down  60s 
To  death.  Speak  rather  of  my  noble  son, 

Whether  or  not  he  yet  has  joined  the  wars 
To  fight  among  the  foremost  of  the  host. 

And  tell  me  also  if  thou  aught  hast  heard 
Of  blameless  Peleus,  —  whether  he  be  yet  610 

Honored  among  his  many  Myrmidons, 

Or  do  they  hold  him  now  in  small  esteem 
In  Hellas  and  in  Phthia,  since  old  age 
Unnerves  his  hands  and  feet,  and  I  no  more 
Am  there,  beneath  the  sun,  to  give  him  aid,  615 
Strong  as  I  was  on  the  wide  plain  of  Troy, 


246 


The  Odyssey. 


When  warring  for  the  Achaian  cause  I  smote 
That  valiant  people.  Could  I  come  again, 

But  for  a  moment,  with  my  former  strength, 

Into  my  father’s  palace,  I  would  make  620 

That  strength  and  these  unconquerable  hands 
A  terror  to  the  men  who  do  him  wrong, 

And  rob  him  of  the  honor  due  a  king.’ 

“  He  spake  ;  I  answered  :  ‘  Nothing  have  I  heard 
Of  blameless  Peleus,  but  I  will  relate  625 

The  truth  concerning  Neoptolemus, 

Thy  son,  as  thou  requirest.  Him  I  took 
From  Scyros  in  a  gallant  bark  to  join 
The  well-armed  Greeks.  Know,  then,  that  when 
we  sat 

In  council,  planning  to  conduct  the  war  e3o 

Against  the  city  of  Troy,  he  always  rose 

The  first  to  speak,  nor  were  his  words  unwise. 

The  godlike  Nestor  and  myself  alone 
Rivalled  him  in  debate.  And  when  we  fought 
About  the  city  walls,  he  loitered  not  <535 

Among  the  others  in  the  numerous  host, 

But  hastened  on  before  them,  giving  place 
To  no  man  there  in  valor.  Many  men 
He  slew  in  desperate  combat,  whom  to  name 
Were  past  my  power,  so  many  were  they  all  640 
Whom  in  the  cause  of  Greece  he  struck  to  earth. 
Yet  one  I  name,  Eurypylus,  the  son 
Of  Telephus,  who  perished  by  his  sword 
With  many  of  his  band,  Citeians,  led 


'  Book  XI 


247 


To  war  because  of  liberal  gifts  bestowed  645 

Upon  their  chieftain’s  wife ;  the  noblest  he 
Of  men,  in  form,  whom  I  have  ever  seen, 

Save  Memnon.  When  into  the  wooden  steed, 
Framed  by  Epeius,  we  the  chiefs  of  Greece 
Ascended,  and  to  me  was  given  the  charge  650 

Of  all  things  there,  to  open  and  to  shut 
The  close-built  fraud,  while  others  of  high  rank 
Among  the  Greeks  were  wiping  off  their  tears, 

And  their  limbs  shook,  I  never  saw  thy  son 
Turn  pale  in  his  fine  face,  or  brush  away  6SS 

A  tear,  but  he  besought  me  earnestly 
That  he  might  leave  our  hiding-place,  and  grasped 
His  falchion’s  hilt,  and  lifted  up  his  spear 
Heavy  with  brass,  for  in  his  mind  he  smote 
The  Trojan  crowd  already.  When  at  last  660 

We  had  o’erthrown  and  sacked  the  lofty  town 
Of  Priam,  he  embarked  upon  a  ship, 

With  all  his  share  of  spoil,  —  a  large  reward,  — 
Unhurt,  not  touched  in  combat  hand  to  hand, 

Nor  wounded  from  afar,  as  oftentimes  665 

Must  be  the  fortune  of  a  fight,  for  Mars 
Is  wont  to  rage  without  regard  to  men.’ 

“  I  spake.  The  soul  of  swift  FEacides 
Over  the  meadows  thick  with  asphodel 
Departed  with  long  strides,  well  pleased  to  hear  <7° 
From  me  the  story  of  his  son’s  renown. 

“The  other  ghosts  of  those  who  lay  in  death 
Stood  sorrowing  by,  and  each  one  told  his  griefs ; 


248 


The  Odyssey. 


But  that  of  Ajax,  son  of  Telamon, 

Kept  far  aloof,  displeased  that  I  had  won  675 

The  victory  contending  at  the  fleet 

Which  should  possess  the  arms  of  Peleus’  son. 

His  goddess-mother  laid  them  as  a  prize 
Before  us,  and  the  captive  sons  of  Troy 
And  Pallas  were  the  umpires  to  award  &o 

The  victory.  And  now  how  much  I  wish 
I  had  not  conquered  in  a  strife  like  that, 

Since  for  that  cause  the  dark  earth  hath  received 
The  hero  Ajax,  who  in  nobleness 
Of  form  and  greatness  of  exploits  excelled  685 

All  other  Greeks,  except  the  blameless  son 
Of  Peleus.  Then  I  spake  in  soothing  words  :  — 

“  ‘  O  Ajax,  son  of  blameless  Telamon  ! 

Wilt  thou  not  even  in  death  forget  the  wrath 
Caused  by  the  strife  for  those  accursed  arms  ?  690 

The  gods  have  made  them  fatal  to  the  Greeks, 

For  thou,  the  bulwark  of  our  host,  didst  fall, 

And  we  lamented  thee  as  bitterly 
When  thou  wert  dead  as  we  had  mourned  the  son 
Of  Peleus.  Nor  was  any  man  to  blame  ;  695 

’T  was  Jupiter  who  held  in  vehement  hate 
The  army  of  the  warlike  Greeks,  and  laid 
This  doom  upon  thee.  Now,  O  king,  draw  near, 
And  hear  our  voice  and  words,  and  check,  I  pray, 
The  anger  rising  in  thy  generous  breast.’  700 

“  I  spake  ;  he  answered  not,  but  moved  away 
To  Erebus,  among  the  other  souls 


Book  XL 


249 


Of  the  departed.  Yet  would  I  have  had 
Speech  of  him,  angry  as  he  was,  or  else 
Have  spoken  to  him  further,  but  my  wish  70s 

Was  strong  to  see  yet  others  of  the  dead. 

“  Then  I  beheld  the  illustrious  son  of  Jove, 
Minos,  a  golden  sceptre  in  his  hand, 

Sitting  to  judge  the  dead,  who  round  the  king 
Pleaded  their  causes.  There  they  stood  or  sat  710 
In  Pluto’s  halls,  —  a  pile  with  ample  gates. 

“  And  next  I  saw  the  huge  Orion  drive, 

Across  the  meadows  green  with  asphodel, 

The  savage  beast  whom  he  had  slain  ;  he  bore 
The  brazen  mace,  which  no  man’s  power  could 
break.  71s 

“  And  Tityus  there  I  saw,  —  the  mighty  earth 
His  mother,  —  overspreading,  as  he  lay, 

Nine  acres,  with  two  vultures  at  his  side, 

That,  plucking  at  his  liver,  plunged  their  beaks 
Into  the  flesh  ;  nor  did  his  hands  avail  720 

To  drive  them  off,  for  he  had  offered  force 
To  Jove’s  proud  wife  Latona,  as  she  went 
To  Pytho,  through  the  pleasant  Panopeus. 

“And  next  I  looked  on  Tantalus,  a  prey 
To  grievous  torments,  standing  in  a  lake  7 as 

That  reached  his  chin.  Though  painfully  athirst, 
He  could  not  drink ;  as  often  as  he  bowed 
His  aged  head  to  take  into  his  lips 
The  water,  it  was  drawn  away,  and  sank 
Into  the  earth,  and  the  dark  soil  appeared 
,1 1  * 


730 


250 


The  Odyssey . 


Around  his  feet ;  a  god  had  dried  it  up. 

And  lofty  trees  drooped  o’er  him,  hung  with  fruit,  — 
Pears  and  pomegranates,  apples  fair  to  sight, 

And  luscious  figs,  and  olives  green  of  hue. 

And  when  that  ancient  man  put  forth  his  hands  735 
To  pluck  them  from  their  stems,  the  wind  arose 
And  whirled  them  far  among  the  shadowy  clouds. 

“  There  I  beheld  the  shade  of  Sisyphus 
Amid  his  sufferings.  With  both  hands  he  rolled 
A  huge  stone  up  a  hill.  To  force  it  up,  740 

He  leaned  against  the  mass  with  hands  and  feet ; 
But,  ere  it  crossed  the  summit  of  the  hill 
A  power  was  felt  that  sent  it  rolling  back, 

And  downward  plunged  the  unmanageable  rock 
Before  him  to  the  plain.  Again  he  toiled  743 

To  heave  it  upward,  while  the  sweat  in  streams 
Ran  down  his  limbs,  and  dust  begrimed  his  brow. 

“Then  I  beheld  the  mighty  Hercules, — 

The  hero’s  image,  —  for  he  sits  himself 

Among  the  deathless  gods,  well  pleased  to  share  750 

Their  feasts,  and  Hebe  of  the  dainty  feet  — 

A  daughter  of  the  mighty  Jupiter 
And  golden-sandalled  Juno  —  is  his  wife. 

Around  his  image  flitted  to  and  fro 
The  ghosts  with  noise,  like  fear-bewildered  birds.  73s 
His  look  was  dark  as  night.  He  held  in  hand 
A  naked  bow,  a  shaft  upon  the  string, 

And  fiercely  gazed,  like  one  about  to  send 
The  arrow  forth.  Upon  his  breast  he  wore 


Book  XL 


251 


The  formidable  baldric,  on  whose  band  7&> 

Of  gold  were  sculptured  marvels,  —  forms  of  bears, 
Wild  boars,  grim  lions,  battles,  skirmishings, 

And  death  by  wounds,  and  slaughter.  He  who 
wrought 

That  band  had  never  done  the  like  before, 

Nor  could  thereafter.  As  I  met  his  eye,  ^ s 

The  hero  knew  me,  and,  beholding  me 
With  pity,  said  to  me  in  winged  words  :  — 

“  ‘  Son  of  Laertes,  nobly  born  and  wise, 

And  yet  unhappy ;  surely  thou  dost  bear 
A  cruel  fate,  like  that  which  I  endured  770 

While  yet  I  saw  the  brightness  of  the  sun. 

The  offspring  of  Saturnian  Jupiter 

Am  I,  and  yet  was  I  compelled  to  serve 

One  of  a  meaner  race  than  I,  who  set 

Difficult  tasks.  He  sent  me  hither  once  775 

To  bring  away  the  guardian  hound;  he  deemed 

No  harder  task  might  be.  I  brought  him  hence ; 

I  led  him  up  from  Hades,  with  such  aid 
As  Hermes  and  the  blue-eyed  Pallas  gave.’ 

“  Thus  having  spoken,  he  withdrew  again  780 
Into  the  abode  of  Pluto.  I  remained 
And  kept  my  place,  in  hope  there  yet  might  come 
Heroes  who  perished  in  the  early  time, 

And  haply  I  might  look  on  some  of  those,  — 

The  ancients,  whom  I  greatly  longed  to  see,  —  785 
On  Theseus  and  Pirithoiis,  glorious  men, 

The  children  of  the  gods.  But  now  there  flocked 


252 


The  Odyssey. 


Already  round  me,  with  a  mighty  noise, 

The  innumerable  nations  of  the  dead  ; 

And  I  grew  pale  with  fear,  lest  from  the  halls  70° 
Of  Pluto  the  stern  Proserpine  should  send 
The  frightful  visage  of  the  monster-maid, 

The  Gorgon.  Hastening  to  my  ship,  I  bade 
The  crew  embark,  and  cast  the  hawsers  loose. 
Quickly  they  went  on  board,  and  took  their  seats  79s 
Upon  the  benches.  Through  Oceanus 
The  current  bore  my  galley,  aided  first 
By  oars  and  then  by  favorable  gales.” 


BOOK  XII. 

“  \  T  OW  when  our  bark  had  left  Ocdanus 
1  1  And  entered  the  great  deep,  we  reached 
the  isle 

Htsea, where  the  Morning,  child  of  Dawn, 

Abides,  and  holds  her  dances,  and  the  Sun 
Goes  up  from  earth.  We  landed  there  and  drew  5 
Our  galley  up  the  beach  ;  we  disembarked 
And  laid  us  down  to  sleep  beside  the  sea, 

And  waited  for  the  holy  Morn  to  rise. 

“  Then  when  the  rosy-fingered  Morn  appeared, 
The  child  of  Dawn,  I  sent  my  comrades  forth  *> 
To  bring  from  Circe’s  halls  Elpenor’s  corse. 

And  where  a  headland  stretched  into  the  deep 


Book  XII. 


253 


We  hewed  down  trees,  and  held  the  funeral  rites 
With  many  tears  ;  and  having  there  consumed 
The  body  and  the  arms  with  fire,  we  built  is 

A  tomb,  and  reared  a  column  to  the  dead, 

And  on  its  summit  fixed  a  tapering  oar. 

“  All  this  was  duly  done  ;  yet  was  the  news 
Of  our  return  from  Hades  not  concealed 
From  Circe.  She  attired  herself  in  haste  20 

And  came  ;  her  maids  came  with  her,  bringing  bread 
And  store  of  meats  and  generous  wine  ;  and  thus 
Spake  the  wise  goddess,  standing  in  the  midst :  — 

“  ‘  Ah,  daring  ones  !  who,  yet  alive,  have  gone 
Down  to  the  abode  of  Pluto ;  twice  to  die  25 

Is  yours,  while  others  die  but  once.  Yet  now 
Take  food,  drink  wine,  and  hold  a  feast  to-day, 

And  with  the  dawn  of  morning  ye  shall  sail ; 

And  I  will  show  the  way,  and  teach  you  all 
Its  dangers,  so  that  ye  may  not  lament  30 

False  counsels  followed,  either  on  the  land 
Or  on  the  water,  to  your  grievous  harm.’ 

“  She  spake,  and  our  confiding  minds  were  swayed 
Easily  by  her  counsels.  All  that  day 
Till  set  of  sun  we  sat  and  banqueted  35 

Upon  the  abundant  meats  and  generous  wines ; 
And  when  the  Sun  went  down,  and  darkness  came, 
The  crew  beside  the  fastenings  of  our  bark 
Lay  down  to  sleep,  while  Circe  took  my  hand, 

•  Led  me  apart,  and  made  me  sit,  and  took  40 

Her  seat  before  me,  and  inquired  of  all 


254 


The  Odyssey. 


That  I  had  seen.  I  told  her  faithfully, 

And  then  the  mighty  goddess  Circe  said  :  — 

“  c  Thus  far  is  well ;  now  heedfully  attend 
To  what  I  say,  and  may  some  deity  45 

Help  thee  remember  it !  Thou  first  wilt  come 
To  where  the  Sirens  haunt.  They  throw  a  spell 
O’er  all  who  pass  that  way.  If  unawares 
One  finds  himself  so  nigh  that  he  can  hear 
Their  voices,  round  him  nevermore  shall  wife  50 
And  lisping  children  gather,  welcoming 
His  safe  return  with  joy.  The  Sirens  sit 
In  a  green  field,  and  charm  with  mellow  notes 
The  comer,  while  beside  them  lie  in  heaps 
The  bones  of  men  decaying  underneath  ss 

The  shrivelled  skins.  Take  heed  and  pass  them  by. 
First  fill  with  wax  well  kneaded  in  the  palm 
The  ears  of  thy  companions,  that  no  sound 
May  enter.  Hear  the  music,  if  thou  wilt, 

But  let  thy  people  bind  thee,  hand  and  foot,  60 
To  the  good  ship,  upright  against  the  mast, 

And  round  it  wind  the  cord,  that  thou  mayst  hear 
The  ravishing  notes.  But  shouldst  thou  then  entreat 
Thy  men,  commanding  them  to  set  thee  free, 

Let  them  be  charged  to  bind  thee  yet  more  fast  65 
With  added  bands.  And  when  they  shall  have  passed 
The  Sirens  by,  I  will  not  judge  for  thee 
Which  way  to  take  ;  consider  for  thyself ; 

I  tell  thee  of  two  ways.  There  is  a  pile 
Of  beetling  rocks,  where  roars  the  mighty  surge  7° 


Book  XII. 


255 


Of  dark-eyecl  Amphitrite  ;  these  are  called 
The  Wanderers  by  the  blessed  gods.  No  birds 
Can  pass  them  safe,  not  even  the  timid  doves, 
Which  bear  ambrosia  to  our  father  Jove, 

But  ever  doth  the  slippery  rock  take  off  75 

Some  one,  whose  loss  the  God  at  once  supplies, 

To  keep  their  number  full.  To  these  no  bark 
Guided  by  man  has  ever  come,  and  left 
The  spot  unwrecked ;  the  billows  of  the  deep 
And  storms  of  fire  in  air  have  scattered  wide  so 
Timbers  of  ships  and  bodies  of  drowned  men. 

One  only  of  the  barks  that  plough  the  deep 
Has  passed  them  safely,  —  Argo,  known  to  all 
By  fame,  when  coming  from  AEeeta  home,  — 

And  her  the  billows  would  have  dashed  against  s5 
The  enormous  rocks,  if  Juno,  for  the  sake 
Of  Jason,  had  not  come  to  guide  it  through. 

“  ‘  Two  are  the  rocks ;  one  lifts  to  the  broad  heaven 
Its  pointed  summit,  where  a  dark  gray  cloud 
Broods,  and  withdraws  not ;  never  is  the  sky  90 
Clear  o’er  that  peak,  not  even  in  summer  days 
Or  autumn  ;  nor  can  man  ascend  its  steeps, 

Or  venture  down,  — so  smooth  the  sides,  as  if 
Man’s  art  had  polished  them.  There  in  the  midst 
Upon  the  western  side  toward  Erebus  95 

There  yawns  a  shadowy  cavern  ;  thither  thou, 
Noble  Ulysses,  steer  thy  bark,  yet  keep 
So  far  aloof  that,  standing  on  the  deck, 

A  youth  might  send  an  arrow  from  a  bow 


256 


The  Odyssey. 


Just  to  the  cavern’s  mouth.  There  Scylla  dwells,  i«> 
And  fills  the  air  with  fearful  yells ;  her  voice 
The  cry  of  whelps  just  littered,  but  herself 
A  frightful  prodigy,  —  a  sight  which  none 
Would  care  to  look  on,  though  he  were  a  god. 
Twelve  feet  are  hers,  all  shapeless  ;  six  long  necks,  i°s 
A  hideous  head  on  each,  and  triple  rows 
Of  teeth,  close  set  and  many,  threatening  death. 
And  half  her  form  is  in  the  cavern’s  womb, 

And  forth  from  that  dark  gulf  her  heads  are  thrust, 
To  look  abroad  upon  the  rocks  for  prey,  —  no 
Dolphin,  or  dogfish,  or  the  mightier  whale, 

Such  as  the  murmuring  Amphitrite  breeds 
In  multitudes.  No  mariner  can  boast 
That  he  has  passed  by  Scylla  with  a  crew 
Unharmed  ;  she  snatches  from  the  deck,  and  bears 
Away  in  each  grim  mouth,  a  living  man.  n6 

“  ‘  Another  rock,  Ulysses,  thou  wilt  see, 

Of  lower  height,  so  near  her  that  a  spear, 

Cast  by  the  hand,  might  reach  it.  On  it  grows 
A  huge  wild  fig-tree  with  luxuriant  leaves.  120 

Below,  Charybdis,  of  immortal  birth, 

Draws  the  dark  water  down  ;  for  thrice  a  day 
She  gives  it  forth,  and  thrice  with  fearful  whirl 
She  draws  it  in.  O,  be  it  not  thy  lot 
To  come  while  the  dark  water  rushes  down  ! 

Even  Neptune  could  not  then  deliver  thee. 

Then  turn  thy  course  with  speed  toward  Scylla’s  rock, 
And  pass  that  way ;  ’t  were  better  far  that  six 


Book  XII. 


257 


Should  perish  from  the  ship  than  all  be  lost.’ 

“  She  spake,  and  I  replied  :  ‘  O  goddess,  deign  130 
To  tell  me  truly,  cannot  I  at  once 
Escape  Charybdis  and  defend  my  friends 
Against  the  rage  of  Scylla  when  she  strikes  ?  ’ 

“  I  spake  ;  the  mighty  goddess  answered  me :  — 
‘  Rash  man  !  dost  thou  still  think  of  warlike  deeds, 
And  feats  of  strength  ?  And  wilt  thou  not  give  way 
Even  to  the  deathless  gods  ?  That  pest  is  not  137 
Of  mortal  mould  ;  she  cannot  die,  she  is 
A  thing  to  tremble  and  to  shudder  at, 

And  fierce,  and  never  to  be  overcome.  140 

There  is  no  room  for  courage  ;  flight  is  best. 

And  if  thou  shouldst  delay  beside  the  rock 
To  take  up  arms,  I  fear  lest  once  again 
She  fall  on  thee  with  all  her  heads,  and  seize 
As  many  men.  Pass  by  the  monster’s  haunt  143 
With  all  the  speed  that  thou  canst  make,  and  call 
Upon  Crataeis,  who  brought  Scylla  forth 
To  be  the  plague  of  men,  and  who  will  calm 
Her  rage,  that  she  assault  thee  not  again. 

“  ‘  Then  in  thy  voyage  shalt  thou  reach  the  isle  iso 
Trinacria,  where,  in  pastures  of  the  Sun, 

His  many  beeves  and  fading  sheep  are  fed,  — 
Seven  herds  of  oxen,  and  as  many  flocks 
Of  sheep,  and  fifty  in  each  flock  and  herd. 

They  never  multiply  ;  they  never  die.  is s 

Two  shepherdesses  tend  them,  goddesses, 

Nymphs  with  redundant  locks,  —  Lampelia  one, 

Q 


The  Odyssey. 


258 

The  other  Phaethusa.  These  the  nymph 
Naeera  to  the  overgoing  Sun 

Brought  forth,  and  when  their  queenly  mother’s  care 
Had  reared  them,  she  appointed  them  to  dwell  161 
In  far  Trinacria,  there  to  keep  the  flocks 
And  oxen  of  their  father.  If  thy  thoughts 
Be  fixed  on  thy  return,  so  that  thou  leave 
These  flocks  and  herds  unharmed,  ye  all  will  come  165 
To  Ithaca,  though  after  many  toils. 

But  if  thou  rashly  harm  them,  I  foretell 
Destruction  to  thy  ship  and  all  its  crew ) 

And  if  thyself  escape,  thou  wilt  return 
Late  and  in  sorrow,  all  thy  comrades  lost/  uo 

“  She  spake  ;  the  Morning  on  her  golden  throne 
Looked  forth  ;  the  glorious  goddess  went  her  way 
Into  the  isle,  I  to  my  ship,  and  bade 
The  men  embark  and  cast  the  hawsers  loose. 

And  straight  they  went  on  board,  and  duly  manned 
The  benches,  smiting  as  they  sat  with  oars 
The  hoary  waters.  Circe,  amber-haired, 

The  mighty  goddess  of  the  musical  voice, 

Sent  a  fair  wind  behind  our  dark-prowed  ship 
That  gayly  bore  us  company,  and  filled  180 

The  sails.  When  we  had  fairly  ordered  all 
On  board  our  galley,  we  sat  down,  and  left 
The  favoring  wind  and  helm  to  bear  us  on, 

And  thus  in  sadness  I  bespake  the  crew  :  — 

“  £  My  friends  !  it  were  not  well  that  one  or  two  183 
Alone  should  know  the  oracles  I  heard 


Book  XII ; 


259 


From  Circb,  great  among  the  goddesses ; 

And  now  will  I  disclose  them,  that  ye  all, 

Whether  we  are  to  die  or  to  escape 

The  doom  of  death,  may  be  forewarned.  And  first 

Against  the  wicked  Sirens  and  their  song  191 

And  flowery  bank  she  warns  us.  I  alone 

May  hear  their  voice,  but  ye  must  bind  me  first 

With  bands  too  strong  to  break,  that  I  may  stand 

Upright  against  the  mast ;  and  let  the  cords  19s 

Be  fastened  round  it.  If  I  then  entreat 

And  bid  you  loose  me,  make  the  bands  more  strong.’ 

“  Thus  to  my  crew  I  spake,  and  told  them  all 
That  they  should  know,  while  our  good  ship  drew 
near 

The  island  of  the  Sirens,  prosperous  gales  200 

Wafting  it  gently  onward.  Then  the  breeze 
Sank  to  a  breathless  calm  ;  some  deity 
Had  hushed  the  winds  to  slumber.  Straightway  rose 
The  men  and  furled  the  sails  and  laid  them  down 
Within  the  ship,  and  sat  and  made  the  sea  20s 
White  with  the  beating  of  their  polished  blades, 
Made  of  the  fir-tree.  Then  I  took  a  mass 
Of  wax  and  cut  it  into  many  parts, 

And  kneaded  each  with  a  strong  hand.  It  grew 
Warm  with  the  pressure,  and  the  beams  of  him  210 
Who  journeys  round  the  earth,  the  monarch  Sun. 
With  this  I  filled  the  ears  of  all  my  men 
From  first  to  last.  They  bound  me,  in  their  turn, 
Upright  against  the  mast-tree,  hand  and  foot, 


26  o 


The  Odyssey. 


And  tied  the  cords  around  it.  Then  again  21s 
They  sat  and  threshed  with  oars  the  hoary  deep. 
And  when,  in  running  rapidly,  we  came 
So  near  the  Sirens  as  to  hear  a  voice 
From  where  they  sat,  our  galley  flew  not  by 
Unseen  by  them,  and  sweetly  thus  they  sang  :  —  220 
“  ‘  O  world-renowned  Ulysses  !  thou  who  art 
The  glory  of  the  Achaians,  turn  thy  bark 
Landward,  that  thou  mayst  listen  to  our  lay 
No  man  has  passed  us  in  his  galley  yet, 

Ere  he  has  heard  our  warbled  melodies.  225 

He  goes  delighted  hence  a  wiser  man  ; 

For  all  that  in  the  spacious  realm  of  Troy 
The  Greeks  and  Trojans  by  the  will  of  Heaven 
Endured  we  know,  and  all  that  comes  to  pass 
In  all  the  nations  of  the  fruitful  earth.’  230 

“  ’T  was  thus  they  sang,  and  sweet  the  strain. 
I  longed 

To  listen,  and  with  nods  I  gave  the  sign 

To  set  me  free ;  they  only  plied  their  oars 

The  faster.  Then  upsprang  Eurylochus 

And  Perimedes,  and  with  added  cords  235 

Bound  me,  and  drew  the  others  still  more  tight. 

And  when  we  now  had  passed  the  spot,  and  heard 

No  more  the  melody  the  Sirens  sang, 

My  comrades  hastened  from  their  ears  to  take 
The  wax,  and  loosed  the  cords  and  set  me  free.  240 
“  As  soon  as  we  had  left  the  isle,  I  saw 
Mist  and  a  mountain  billow,  and  I  heard 


Book  XII . 


261 


The  thunder  of  the  waters.  From  the  hands 
Of  my  affrighted  comrades  flew  the  oars, 

The  deep  was  all  in  uproar ;  but  the  ship  245 

Stopped  there,  for  all  the  rowers  ceased  their  task. 
I  went  through  all  the  ship  exhorting  them 
With  cheerful  words,  man  after  man,  and  said  :  — 

“  ‘  Reflect,  my  friends,  that  we  are  not  untried 
In  evil  fortunes,  nor  in  sadder  plight  250 

Are  we  than  when  within  his  spacious  cave 
The  brutal  Cyclops  held  us  prisoners ; 

Yet  through  my  valor  we  escaped,  and  through 
My  counsels  and  devices,  and  I  think 
That  ye  will  live  to  bear  this  day’s  events  255 

In  memory  like  those.  Now  let  us  act. 

Do  all  as  I  advise ;  go  to  your  seats 
Upon  the  benches,  smiting  with  your  oars 
These  mighty  waves,  and  haply  Jove  will  grant 
That  we  escape  the  death  which  threatens  us.  260 
Thee,  helmsman,  I  adjure,  —  and  heed  my  words, 
Since  to  thy  hands  alone  is  given  in  charge 
Our  gallant  vessel’s  rudder,  —  steer  thou  hence 
From  mist  and  tumbling  waves,  and  well  observe 
The  rock,  lest  where  it  juts  into  the  sea  263 

Thou  heed  it  not,  and  bring  us  all  to  wreck.’ 

“  I  spake,  and  quickly  all  obeyed  my  words. 

Yet  said  I  naught  of  Scylla,  —  whom  we  now 
Could  not  avoid,  —  lest  all  the  crew  in  fear 
Should  cease  to  row,  and  crowd  into  the  hold.  270 
And  then  did  I  forget  the  stern  command 


262 


The  Odyssey. 


Which  Circe  gave  me,  not  to  arm  myself 
For  combat.  In  my  shining  arms  I  cased 
My  limbs,  and  took  in  hand  two  ponderous  spears, 
And  went  on  deck,  and  stood  upon  the  prow,  • —  ^rs 
For  there  it  seemed  to  me  that  Scylla  first 
Would  show  herself,  —  that  monster  of  the  rocks,  — - 
To  seize  my  comrades.  Yet  I  saw  her  not, 

Though  weary  grew  my  eyes  with  looking  long 
And  eagerly  upon  those  dusky  cliffs.  28a 

“  Sadly  we  sailed  into  the  strait,  where  stood 
On  one  hand  Scylla,  and  the  dreaded  rock 
Charybdis  on  the  other,  drawing  down 
Into  her  horrid  gulf  the  briny  flood  ; 

And  as  she  threw  it  forth  again,  it  tossed  285 

And  murmured  as  upon  a  glowing  fire 
The  water  in  a  caldron,  while  the  spray, 

Thrown  upward,  fell  on  both  the  summit-rocks ; 
And  when  once  more  she  swallowed  the  salt  sea, 

It  whirled  within  the  abyss,  while  far  below  290 
The  bottom  of  blue  sand  was  seen.  My  men 
Grew  pale  with  fear ;  we  looked  into  the  gulf 
And  thought  our  end  was  nigh.  Then  Scylla 
snatched 

Six  of  my  comrades  from  our  hollow  bark, 

The  best  in  valor  and  in  strength  of  arm.  295 

I  looked  to  my  good  ship  ;  I  looked  to  them, 

And  saw  their  hands  and  feet  still  swung  in  air 
Above  me,  while  for  the  last  time  on  earth 
They  calLed  my  name  in  agony  of  heart. 


Book  XII. 


263 


As  when  an  angler  on  a  jutting  rock  3°° 

Sits  with  his  taper  rod,  and  casts  his  bait 
To  snare  the  smaller  fish,  he  sends  the  horn 
Of  a  wild  bull  that  guards  his  line  afar 
Into  the  water,  and  jerks  out  a  fish, 

And  throws  it  gasping  shoreward  ;  so  were  they  3°s 
Uplifted  gasping  to  the  rocks,  and  there 
Scylla  devoured  them  at  her  cavern’s  mouth, 
Stretching  their  hands  to  me  with  piercing  cries 
Of  anguish.  ’T  was  in  truth  the  saddest  sight, 
Whatever  I  have  suffered  and  where’er  310 

Have  roamed  the  waters,  that  mine  eyes  have  seen. 

“  Escaping  thus  the  rocks,  the  dreaded  haunt 
Of  Scylla  and  Charybdis,  we  approached 
The  pleasant  island  of  the  Sun,  where  grazed 
The  oxen  with  broad  foreheads,  beautiful,  315 

And  flocks  of  sheep,  the  fatlings  of  the  god 
Who  makes  the  round  of  heaven.  While  yet  at  sea 
I  heard  from  my  black  ship  the  low  of  herds 
In  stables,  and  the  bleatings  of  the  flocks, 

And  straightway  came  into  my  thought  the  words  320 
Of  the  blind  seer  Tiresias,  him  of  Thebes, 

And  of  ^Eaean  Circe,  who  had  oft 
Warned  me  to  shun  the  island  of  the  god 
Whose  light  is  sweet  to  all.  And  then  I  said 
To  my  companions  with  a  sorrowing  heart :  —  325 

“  4  My  comrades,  sufferers  as  ye  are,  give  ear. 

I  shall  disclose  the  oracles  which  late 
Tiresias  and  ^Eaean  Circe  gave. 


264 


The  Odyssey. 


The  goddess  earnestly  admonished  me 
Not  to  approach  the  island  of  the  Sun,  334 

Whose  light  is  sweet  to  all,  for  there  she  said 
Some  great  misfortune  lay  in  wait  for  us. 

Now  let  us  speed  the  ship  and  pass  the  isle.’ 

“  I  spake  ;  their  hearts  were  broken  as  they  heard, 
And  bitterly  Eurylochus  replied  :  —  33s 

“  ‘  Austere  art  thou,  Ulysses ;  thou  art  strong 
Exceedingly ;  no  labor  tires  thy  limbs  ; 

They  must  be  made  of  iron,  since  thy  will 
Denies  thy  comrades,  overcome  with  toil 
And  sleeplessness,  to  tread  the  land  again,  340 

And  in  that  isle  amid  the  waters  make 
A  generous  banquet.  Thou  wouldst  have  us  sail 
Into  the  swiftly  coming  night,  and  stray 
Far  from  the  island,  through  the  misty  sea. 

By  night  spring  up  the  mighty  winds  that  make  343 
A  wreck  of  ships,  and  how  can  one  escape 
Destruction,  should  a  sudden  hurricane 
Rise  from  the  south  or  the  hard-blowing  west, 

Such  as,  in  spite  of  all  the  sovereign  gods, 

Will  cause  a  ship  to  founder  in  the  deep  ?  330 

Let  us  obey  the  dark-browed  Night,  and  take 
Our  evening  meal,  remaining  close  beside 
Our  gallant  bark,  and  go  on  board  again 
When  morning  breaks,  and  enter  the  wide  sea.’ 

“  So  spake  Eurylochus  ;  the  rest  approved.  335 
And  then  I  knew  that  some  divinity 
Was  meditating  evil  to  our  band, 


Book  XII. 


265 


And  I  bespake  him  thus  in  winged  words  :  — 

“  ‘  Eurylochus,  ye  force  me  to  your  will, 

Since  I  am  only  one.  Now  all  of  you  360 

Bind  yourselves  to  me  firmly,  by  dn  oath, 

That  if  ye  haply  here  shall  meet  a  herd 
Of  beeves  or  flock  of  sheep,  ye  will  not  dare 
To  slay  a  single  ox  or  sheep,  but  feed 
Contented  on  the  stores  that  Circe  gave.’  36s 

“  I  spake,  and  readily  my  comrades  swore 
As  I  required  ;  and  when  that  solemn  oath 
Was  taken,  to  the  land  we  brought  and  moored 
Our  galley  in  a  winding  creek,  beside 
A  fountain  of  sweet  water.  From  the  deck  370 
Stepped  my  companions  and  made  ready  there 
Their  evening  cheer.  They  ate  and  drank  till  thirst 
And  hunger  were  appeased,  and  then  they  thought 
Of  those  whom  Scylla  from  our  galley’s  deck 
Snatched  and  devoured ;  they  thought  and  wept 
till  sleep  37s 

Stole  softly  over  them  amid  their  tears. 

Now  came  the  third  part  of  the  night ;  the  stars 
Were  sinking  when  the  Cloud-compeller  Jove 
Sent  forth  a  violent  wind  with  eddying  gusts, 

And  covered  both  the  earth  and  sky  with  clouds,  3S0 
And  darkness  fell  from  heaven.  When  Morning 
came, 

The  rosy-fingered  daughter  of  the  Dawn, 

W e  drew  the  ship  into  a  spacious  grot. 

There  were  the  seats  of  nymphs,  and  there  we  saw 


VOL.  1. 


12 


266 


The  Odyssey. 


The  smooth  fair  places  where  they  danced.  I  called 
A  council  of  my  men,  and  said  to  them  : —  3S6 

“  ‘  My  friends,  in  our  good  ship  are  food  and 
drink ; 

Abstain  we  from  these  beeves,  lest  we  be  made 
To  suffer  ;  for  these  herds  and  these  fair  flocks 
Are  sacred  to  a  dreaded  god,  the  Sun,  —  390 

The  all-beholding  and  all-hearing  Sun.’ 

“  I  spake,  and  all  were  swayed  by  what  I  said 
Full  easily.  A  month  entire  the  gales 
Blew  from  the  south,  and  after  that  no  wind 
Save  east  and  south.  While  yet  we  ha  d  our  bread  39s 
And  ruddy  wine,  my  comrades  spared  the  beeves, 
Moved  by  the  love  of  life.  But  when  the  stores 
On  board  our  galley  were  consumed,  they  roamed 
The  island  in  their  need,  and  sought  for  prey, 

And  snared  with  barbed  hooks  the  fish  and 
birds,  —  400 

Whatever  came  to  hand,  — till  they  were  gaunt 
With  famine.  Meantime  I  withdrew  alone 
Into  the  isle,  to  supplicate  the  gods, 

If  haply  one  of  them  might  yet  reveal 

The  way  of  my  return.  As  thus  I  strayed  405 

Into  the  land,  apart  from  all  the  rest, 

I  found  a  sheltered  nook  where  no  wind  came, 

And  prayed  with  washen  hands  to  all  the  gods 
Who  dwell  in  heaven.  At  length  they  bathed  my  lids 
In  a  soft  sleep.  Meantime,  Eurylochus  410 

With  fatal  counsels  thus  harangued  my  men  :  — 


Book  XII 


267- 


“  ‘  Hear,  my  companions,  sufferers  as  ye  are, 

The  words  that  I  shall  speak.  All  modes  of  deatff 
Are  hateful  to  the  wretched  race  of  men  ; 

But  this  of  hunger,  thus  to  meet  our  fate,  415 

Is  the  most  fearful.  Let  us  drive  apart 
The  best  of  all  the  oxen  of  the  Sun, 

And  sacrifice  them  to  the  immortal  ones 
Who  dwell  in  the  broad  heaven.  And  if  we  come 
To  Ithaca,  our  country,  we  will  there  42a 

Build  to  the  Sun,  whose  path  is  o’er  our  heads, 

A  sumptuous  temple,  and  endow  its  shrine 
With  many  gifts  and  rare.  But  if  it  be 
His  will,  approved  by  all  the  other  gods, 

To  sink  our  bark  in  anger,  for  the  sake  425 

Of  these  his  high-horned  oxen,  I  should  choose 
Sooner  to  gasp  my  life  away  amid 
The  billows  of  the  deep,  than  pine  to  death 
By  famine  in  this  melancholy  isle.’ 

“  So  spake  Eurylochus  ;  the  crew  approved.  430 
Then  from  the  neighboring  herd  they  drove  the  best 
Of  all  the  beeves ;  for  near  the  dark-prowed  ship 
The  fair  broad-fronted  herd  with  crooked  horns 
Were  feeding.  Round  the  victims  stood  my  crew, 
And,  offering  their  petitions  to  the  gods,  435 

Held  tender  oak-leaves  in  their  hands,  just  plucked 
From  a  tall  tree,  for  in  our  good  ship’s  hold 
Was  no  white  barley  now.  When  they  had  prayed, 
And  slain  and  dressed  the  beeves,  they  hewed  away 
The  thighs  and  covered  them  with  double  folds  440 


268 


The  Odyssey. 


•Of  caul,  and  laid  raw  slices  over  these. 

'Wine  had  they  not  to  pour  in  sacrifice 
Upon  the  burning  flesh  ;  they  poured  instead 
Water,  and  roasted  all  the  entrails  thus. 

'Now  when  the  thighs  were  thoroughly  consumed, 
And  entrails  tasted,  all  the  rest  was  carved  446 
Into  small  portions,  and  transfixed  with  spits. 

“  Just  then  the  gentle  slumber  left  my  lids. 

-I  hurried  .to  .the  shore  and  my  good  ship, 

And,  drawing  near,  perceived  the  savory  steam  4s* 
From  the  burnt-offering.  Sorrowfully  then 
I  called  upon  the  ever-living  gods  :  — 

u,t  O  Father  Jove,  and  all  ye  blessed  gods, 

Who  live  forever,  ’t  was  a  cruel  sleep 

In  which  ye  lulled  me  to  my  grievous  harm ;  455 

My  comrades  here  have  done  a  fearful  wrong/ 

“  Lampetia,  of  the  trailing  robes,  in  haste 
Flew  to  the  Sun,  who  journeys  round  the  earth, 

To  tell  him  that  my  crew  had  slain  his  beeves, 

And  thus  in  anger  he  bespake  the  gods  : —  460 

“  ‘  O  Father  Jove,  and  all  ye  blessed  gods 
Who  never  die,  avenge  the  wrong  I  bear 
Upon  the  comrades  of  Laertes’  son, 

Ulysses,  who  have  foully  slain  my  beeves, 

In  which  I  took  delight  whene’er  I  rose  46s 

Into  the  starry  heaven,  and  when  again 
I  sank  from  heaven  to  earth.  If  for  the  wrong 
They  make  not  large  amends,  I  shall  go  down 
To  Hades,  there  to  shine  among  the  dead.’ 


Book  XII. 


269 


“  The  cloud-compelling  Jupiter  replied  : —  47° 

‘  Still  shine,  O  Sun  !  among  the  deathless  gods 
And  mortal  men,  upon  the  nourishing  earth. 

Soon  will  I  cleave,  with  a  white  thunderbolt, 

Their  galley  in  the  midst  of  the  black  sea.’ 

“This  from  Calypso  of  the  radiant  hair  47s 

I  heard  thereafter;  she  herself,  she  said, 

Had  heard  it  from  the  herald  Mercury. 

“  When  to  the  ship  I  came,  beside  the  sea, 

I  sternly  chid  them  all,  man  after  man, 

Yet  could  we  think  of  no  redress ;  the  beeves  480 
Were  dead  ;  and  now  with  prodigies  the  gods 
Amazed  my  comrades,  —  the  skins  moved  and 
crawled, 

The  flesh  both  raw  and  roasted  on  the  spits 
Lowed  with  the  voice  of  oxen.  Six  whole  days 
My  comrades  feasted,  taking  from  the  herd  485 
The  Sun’s  best  oxen.  When  Saturnian  Jove 
Brought  the  seventh  day,  the  tempest  ceased  ;  the 
wind 

Fell,  and  we  straightway  went  on  board.  We  set 
The  mast  upright,  and,  spreading  the  white  sails, 
We  ventured  on  the  great  wide  sea  again.  490 

“  When  we  had  left  the  isle,  and  now  appeared 
No  other  land,  but  only  sea  and  sky, 

The  son  of  Saturn  caused  a  lurid  cloud 
To  gather  o’er  the  galley,  and  to  cast 
Its  darkness  on  the  deep.  Not  long  our  ship 
Ran  onward,  ere  the  furious  west-wind  rose 


495 


270 


The  Odyssey. 


And  blew  a  hurricane.  A  strong  blast  snapped 
Both  ropes  that  held  the  mast ;  the  mast  fell 
back  ; 

The  tackle  dropped  entangled  to  the  hold ; 

The  mast,  in  falling  on  the  galley’s  stern,  500 

Dashed  on  the  pilot’s  head  and  crushed  the  bones, 
And  from  the  deck  he  plunged  like  one  who  dives 
Into  the  deep  ;  his  gallant  spirit  left 
The  limbs  at  once.  Jove  thundered  from  on  high, 
And  sent  a  thunderbolt  into  the  ship,  s°s 

That,  quaking  with  the  fearful  blow,  and  filled 
With  stifling  sulphur,  shook  my  comrades  off 
Into  the  deep.  They  floated  round  the  ship 
Like  seamews ;  Jupiter  had  cut  them  off 
From  their  return.  I  moved  from  place  to  place, 
Still  in  the  ship,  until  the  tempest’s  force  sk 

Parted  the  sides  and  keel.  Before  the  waves 
The  naked  keel  was  swept.  The  mast  had  snapped 
Just  at  the  base,  but  round  it  was  a  thong 
Made  of  a  bullock’s  hide  ;  with  this  I  bound  sis 
The  mast  and  keel  together,  took  my  seat 
Upon  them,  and  the  wild  winds  bore  me  on. 

“  The  west-wind  ceased  to  rage ;  but  in  its 
stead 

The  south-wind  blew,  and  brought  me  bitter  grief. 

I  feared  lest  I  must  measure  back  my  way  520 

To  grim  Charybdis.  All  night  long  I  rode 
The  waves,  and  with  the  rising  sun  drew  near 
The  rock  of  Scylla  and  the  terrible 


Book  XII. 


27  [ 


Charybdis  as  her  gulf  was  drawing  down 

The  waves  of  the  salt  sea.  There  as  I  came  s=s 

I  raised  myself  on  high  till  I  could  grasp 

The  lofty  fig-tree,  and  I  clung  to  it 

As  clings  a  bat,  —  for  I  could  neither  find 

A  place  to  plant  my  feet,  nor  could  I  climb, 

So  distant  were  the  roots,  so  far  apart  530 

The  long  huge  branches  overshadowing 
Charybdis.  Yet  I  firmly  kept  my  hold 
Till  she  should  throw  the  keel  and  mast  again 
Up  from  the  gulf.  They,  as  I  waited  long, 

Came  up  again,  though  late,  —  as  late  as  one  535 
Who  long  has  sat  adjudging  strifes  between 
Young  suitors  pleading  in  the  market-place 
Rises  and  goes  to  take  his  evening  meal ; 

So  late  the  timbers  of  my  bark  returned, 

Thrown  from  Charybdis.  Then  I  dropped  amid  540 
The  dashing  waves,  and  came  with  hands  and 
feet 

On  those  long  timbers  in  the  midst,  that  they 
Might  bear  my  weight.  I  sat  on  them  and  rowed 
With  both  my  hands.  The  father  of  the  gods 
And  mortals  suffered  not  that  I  should  look  543 
On  Scylla’s  rock  again,  else  had  I  not 
Escaped  a  cruel  death.  For  nine  long  days 
I  floated  on  the  waters ;  on  the  tenth 
The  gods  at  nightfall  bore  me  to  an  isle,  — 

Ogygia,  where  Calypso,  amber-haired, 

A  mighty  goddess,  skilled  in  song,  abides, 


550 


2J2  The  Odyssey. 

Who  kindly  welcomed  me,  and  cherished  me. 

Why  should  I  speak  of  this  ?  Here  in  these  halls 
I  gave  the  history  yesterday  to  thee 
And  to  thy  gracious  consort,  and  I  hate  555 

To  tell  again  a  tale  once  fully  told.’ 


'-O 


END  OF  VOL.  I. 


THE  ODYSSEY  OF  HOMER. 

VOL.  II. 


CONTENTS  OF  VOL.  II. 


— ♦ — 

BOOK  XIII. 

ARRIVAL  OF  ULYSSES  AT  ITHACA. 

Page 

Departure  of  Ulysses  from  the  Court  of  Alcinoiis.  —  Arrival  of  the 
Ship  at  Ithaca.  —  Ulysses  carried  on  Shore  by  the  Phaeacians  while 
asleep,  and  left.  —  His  Treasures  landed  also.  —  The  Ship,  while 
returning,  transformed  by  Neptune  into  a  Rock-  —  Dialogue  be¬ 
tween  Pallas  and  Ulysses  concerning  the  Destruction  of  the  Suitors. 

—  Concealment  of  the  Treasures  in  a  Cave. — Transformation  of 
Ulysses  into  an  Old  Man . . 

BOOK  XIV. 

MEETING  OF  ULYSSES  AND  EUM^US. 

Hospitable  Reception  by  Eumsus  of  Ulysses  in  the  Disguise  of  a 
Beggar.  —  His  Feigned  Account  of  himself.  —  His  Promise  that 
Ulysses  shall  return.  —  Supper  in  the  Lodge  of  Eumaeus.  —  Strata¬ 
gem  of  Ulysses  to  procure  a  Cloak  for  the  Night  .  .  .  .20 

BOOK  XV. 

RETURN  OF  TELEMACHUS. 

Appearance  of  Pallas  in  a  Dream  to  Telemachus,  warning  him  to  re¬ 
turn  to  Ithaca. —  His  Departure  from  Lacedaemon,  and  arrival  at 
Pylos.  —  Theoclymenus,  an  Augur,  taken  on  Board  by  him  at 
Pylos.  —  The  Story  of  Eumaeus  related  by  him  to  Ulysses.  —  Ar¬ 
rival  of  Telemachus  at  the  Coast  of  Ithaca.  — The  Ship  sent  for¬ 
ward  to  the  City,  while  Telemachus,  having  committed  Theocly¬ 
menus  to  the  Care  of  his  Friend  Piraeus,  goes  to  the  Lodge  of 
Eumaeus  ............  43 


IV 


Contents. 


BOOK  XVI. 

ULYSSES  DISCOVERING  HIMSELF  TO  TELEMACHUS. 

Reception  of  Telemachus  by  Eumaeus,  who  is  sent  to  inform  Penel¬ 
ope  of  her  Son’s  Arrival. —  Interview  of  Ulysses  and  Telemachus, 
in  which,  at  the  Command  of  Pallas,  Ulysses  discovers  himself.  — 
Return  of  the  Disappointed  Suitors  from  lying  in  Wait  for  Telem¬ 
achus  . 68 


BOOK  XVII. 

RETURN  OF  ULYSSES  TO  HIS  PALACE. 

Meeting  of  Telemachus  and  Penelope,  Ulysses  conducted  by  Eumaeus 
to  the  Palace,  where  he  is  known  by  the  Dog  Argus,  who  dies  on 
seeing  him.  —  Entrance  of  Ulysses  among  the  Suitors.  —  Assault 
made  by  Antinous  upon  Ulysses.  —  Ulysses  sent  for  by  Penelope  .  88 


BOOK  XVIII. 

COMBAT  OF  ULYSSES  AND  IRUS. 

Ulysses  insulted  by  the  Beggar  Irus.  —  Amusement  of  the  Suitors, 
who  encourage  the  Quarrel.  —  Victory  of  Ulysses  in  the  Combat 
with  Irus-  —  Manoeuvre  of  Penelope  to  obtain  Presents  from  the 
Suitors,  and  its  Success.  —  Ulysses  insulted  by  Eurymachus.  — 

His  Reply.  —  The  Cupbearer  struck  down  by  a  Footstool  flung  at 
Ulysses  by  Eurymachus . .  •  .114 


BOOK  XIX. 

ULYSSES  RECOGNIZED  BY  EURYCLEIA. 

Removal  of  the  Weapons  from  the  Hall  by  Ulysses  and  his  Son.  — 
Interview  of  Penelope  and  Ulysses,  who  tells  her  that  he  has  seen 
her  Husband  in  Crete,  describes  his  Person  and  Dress,  and  affirms 
that  within  a  Month  he  will  be  in  Ithaca.  —  The  Bath  administered 
to  Ulysses  by  Eurycleia,  who  recognizes  him  by  a  Scar  on  his  Leg. 

—  Narrative  of  the  Manner  in  which  the  Scar  was  caused  .  .  133 


Contents. 


v 


BOOK  XX. 

THE  LAST  BANQUET  OF  THE  SUITORS. 

Disorderly  Conduct  of  the  Serving- Women.  —  Prayer  of  Ulysses  for 
a  Favorable  Omen. — Its  Fulfilment. — Preparations  for  a  Feast 
of  the  Suitors  in  the  Palace. — The  Feast.  —  Ulysses  insulted  by 
Ctesippus,  who  is  reproved  by  Telemachus. —  Strange  Prodigies 
observed  by  Theoclymenus,  who  leaves  the  Hall  ....  159 


BOOK  XXI. 

THE  BENDING  OF  THE  BOW  OF  ULYSSES. 

Proposal  of  Penelope  to  the  Suitors  to  contend  for  her  Hand  with  the 
Bow  and  Arrows  of  Ulysses.  —  Their  ineffectual  Attempts  to  bend 
the  Bow.  —  Management  of  Ulysses  to  obtain  the  Bow,  which  he 
bends  with  Ease,  and  sends  an  Arrow  through  the  twelve  Rings  set 
up  in  a  Row  for  the  Purpose . 176 


BOOK  XXII. 

DEATH  OF  THE  SUITORS. 

Antinoiis  slain  by  an  Arrow  from  the  Bow  of  Ulysses,  who  now  de¬ 
clares  himself,  and  begins  the  Slaughter.  —  Arms  brought  to  him 
and  to  Eumaeus  and  Philoetius  by  Telemachus  — Arms  brought  to 
the  Suitors  by  Melanthius  the  Goatherd. — Appearance  of  Pallas 
in  the  Shape  of  Mentor.  —  Death  of  all  the  Suitors.  —  Medon  and 
Phemius  spared.  —  The  Unfaithful  Serving-Women  hanged  .  .  195 


BOOK  XXIII. 

ULYSSES  AND  PENELOPE  AFTER  THE  SLAUGHTER. 

Descent  of  Penelope  to  the  Hall.  —  Her  Doubts  of  the  Identity  of 
Ulysses  removed  by  Evident  Tokens  given  by  Ulysses.  —  Her 
Transport  at  their  Removal.  —  His  Narrative  of  his  Adventures. 

—  Departure  of  Ulysses  with  his  Son,  the  Herdsman,  and  the 
Swineherd,  to  the  Country . 216 


VI 


Contents . 


BOOK  XXIV. 

CONCLUSION. 

The  Souls  of  the  Suitors  conducted  to  Hades  by  Mercury.  —  Aga¬ 
memnon  and  Achilles  in  Hades. — Their  Meeting  with  the  Souls 
of  the  Suitors,  and  Narrative  of  Amphimedon.  —  Meeting  and 
Mutual  Recognition  of  Ulysses  and  his  Father  in  the  Orchard  at 
Ithaca.  —  Insurrection  of  the  Ithacans,  with  Eupeithes,  the  Father 
of  Antinoiis,  at  their  head.  —  The  Revolt  quelled,  Eupeithes  slain 
by  Laertes,  and  a  lasting  Peace  made  between  Ulysses  and  his 
Subjects . . 


* 


232 


THE  ODYSSEY. 


- ♦ - 

BOOK  XIII. 

HE  spake,  and  all  within  those  shadowy  halls 
Were  silent ;  all  were  held  in  mute  delight. 
Alcinoiis  then  took  up  the  word  and  said  :  — 

“  Since  thou  hast  come,  Ulysses,  as  a  guest, 

To  this  high  pile  and  to  these  brazen  rooms,  5 
So  long  a  sufferer,  thou  must  not  depart 
Upon  thy  homeward  way  a  wanderer  still. 

And  this  let  me  enjoin  on  each  of  you 

Who  in  this  palace  drink  at  our  repasts 

The  choice  red  wine,  and  listen  to  the  bard  :  10 

Already  in  a  polished  chest  are  laid 

Changes  of  raiment,  works  of  art  in  gold, 

And  other  gifts,  which  the  Phaeacian  chiefs 
Have  destined  for  our  guest ;  now  let  us  each 
Bestow  an  ample  tripod  and  a  vase,  15 

And  we  in  an  assembly  of  the  realm 
Will  see  the  cost  repaid,  since  otherwise 
Great  would  the  burden  be  that  each  must  bear.” 

So  spake  Alcinoiis  ;  they  approved,  and  sought 


VOL.  11. 


1 


A 


2 


The  Odyssey. 


Their  homes  to  sleep,  but  when  the  child  of  Dawn,  20 
The  rosy-fingered  Morn,  appeared,  they  came, 

All  bringing  to  the  ship  their  gifts  of  brass 
In  honor  of  the  guest.  The  mighty  prince 
Alcinoiis,  going  through  the  ship,  bestowed 
The  whole  beneath  the  benches,  that  no  one  25 
Of  those  who  leaned  to  pull  the  oar  might  thence 
Meet  harm  or  hindrance.  Then  they  all  went  back 
To  the  king’s  palace,  and  prepared  a  feast. 

The  mighty  prince  Alcinoiis  offered  up 
For  them  an  ox  to  cloud-compelling  Jove,  30 

The  son  of  Saturn,  ruler  over  all. 

They  burned  the  thighs,  and  held  high  festival, 

And  all  was  mirth.  Divine  Demodocus 
The  bard,  whom  all  men  reverenced,  sang  to  them. 
Meantime  Ulysses  often  turned  to  look  35 

At  the  bright  Sun,  and  longed  to  see  him  set, 

So  eager  was  the  hero  to  set  sail 
Upon  his  homeward  way.  As  when  a  swain 
Awaits  his  evening  meal,  for  whom  all  day 
Two  dark-brown  steers  have  dragged  the  solid 
plough  4a 

Through  fallow  grounds,  and  welcome  is  the  hour 
Of  sunset,  calling  him  to  his  repast, 

And  wearily  he  walks  with  failing  knees, 

So  welcome  to  Ulysses  did  the  light 

Of  day  go  down.  Then  did  he  hold  discourse  4s 

With  the  Phaeacians,  lovers  of  the  sea, 

And  chiefly  with  Alcinoiis,  speaking  thus  :  — 


Book  XIII. 


3 


“  O  monarch  most  illustrious  of  thy  race, 
Alcinoiis,  now  when  ye  have  duly  poured 
Wine  to  the  gods,  be  pleased  to  send  me  hence  50 
In  peace,  and  fare  ye  well !  All  that  my  heart 
Could  wish  have  ye  provided  bounteously,  — 

An  escort  and  rich  gifts ;  and  may  the  gods 
Bestow  their  blessing  with  them  !  May  I  meet 
My  blameless  wife  again,  and  find  my  friends  55 
Prosperous  !  And  ye  whom  I  shall  leave  behind, 
Long  may  ye  make  the  wives  of  your  young  years 
And  children  happy!  May  the  gods  vouchsafe 
To  crown  with  every  virtue  you  and  them, 

And  may  no  evil  light  upon  your  isle  !  ”  60 

He  spake ;  the  assembly  all  approved  his  words, 
And  bade  send  forth  the  stranger  on  his  way, 

Who  spake  so  nobly.  Then  the  mighty  prince 
Alcinoiis  turned,  and  to  the  herald  said  :  — 

“  Now  mix  the  wine,  Pontonoiis,  in  a  jar,  6S 

And  bear  a  part  to  all  beneath  our  roof, 

That  we  with  prayers  to  Father  Jupiter 
May  send  the  stranger  to  his  native  land.” 

He  spake  ;  Pontonoiis  mingled  for  the  guests 
The  generous  wine,  and  went  with  it  to  each,  7 
Who  poured  it  on  the  ground,  from  where  they  sat, 
To  all  the  dwellers  of  the  ample  heaven ; 

And  then  the  great  Ulysses,  rising  up, 

Placed  the  round  goblet  in  Arete’s  hands, 

And  thus  bespake  the  queen  with  winged  words : —  7s 
‘£  Farewell,  O  queen,  through  the  long  years,  till 
age 


4 


The  Odyssey. 


And  death,  which  are  the  lot  of  all,  shall  come. 
Now  I  depart,  but  mayst  thou,  here  among 
Thy  people,  and  the  children  of  thy  love, 

And  King  Alcinoiis,  lead  a  happy  life  !  ”  & 

So  spake  the  high-born  chieftain,  and  withdrew, 
And  crossed  the  threshold.  King  Alcinoiis  sent 
A  herald  with  him  to  direct  his  way 
To  the  fleet  ship  and  border  of  the  deep. 

Arete  also  sent  her  servant-maids,  —  s5 

One  bearing  a  fresh  cloak  and  tunic,  one 
A  coffer  nobly  wrought,  and  yet  a  third 
Bread  and  red  wine ;  and  when  they  reached  the  ship 
Beside  the  sea,  the  diligent  crew  received 
Their  burdens,  and  bestowed  within  the  hold  90 
The  food  and  drink,  but  spread  upon  the  deck 
And  at  the  stern  a  mat  and  linen  sheet, 

That  there  Ulysses  undisturbed  might  sleep. 

He  went  on  board  and  silently  lay  down, 

While  all  the  rowers  in  due  order  took  95 

Their  seats  upon  the  benches.  Loosing  first 
The  hawser  from  the  perforated  rock, 

They  bent  them  to  their  task,  and  flung  the  brine 
Up  from  the  oar,  while  on  the  chieftain’s  lids 
Lighted  a  sweet  and  deep  and  quiet  sleep,  100 

Most  like  to  death.  As,  smitten  by  the  lash, 

Four  harnessed  stallions  spring  on  high  and  dart 
Across  the  plain  together ;  so  the  prow 
Rose  leaping  forward,  while  behind  it  rolled 
A  huge  dark  billow  of  the  roaring  sea.  i°s 


Book  XIII 


5 


Safely  and  steadily  the  galley  ran, 

Nor  could  a  falcon,  swiftest  of  the  birds, 

Have  kept  beside  it,  with  such  speed  it  flew, 

Bearing  a  hero  who  was  like  the  gods 

In  wisdom,  and  whose  sufferings  in  the  wars  u* 

And  voyages  among  the  furious  waves 

Were  great  and  many,  though  he  slumbered  now 

In  peace,  forgetful  of  misfortunes  past. 

Now  when  that  brightest  star,  the  harbinger 
Of  Morning,  daughter  of  the  Dawn,  arose,  ns 

The  bark  had  passed  the  sea,  and  reached  the  isle. 

A  port  there  is  in  Ithaca,  the  haunt 
Of  Phorcys,  Ancient  of  the  Sea.  Steep  shores 
Stretch  inward  toward  each  other,  and  roll  back 
The  mighty  surges  which  the  hoarse  winds  hurl  120 
Against  them  from  the  ocean,  while  within 
Ships  ride  without  their  hawsers  when  they  once 
Have  passed  the  haven’s  mouth.  An  olive-tree 
With  spreading  branches  at  the  farther  end 
Of  that  fair  haven  stands,  and  overbrows  123 

A  pleasant  shady  grotto  of  the  nymphs 
Called  Naiads.  Cups  and  jars  of  stone  are  ranged 
Within,  and  bees  lay  up  their  honey  there. 

There  from  their  spindles  wrought  of  stone  the 
nymphs 

Weave  their  sea-purple  robes,  which  all  behold  130 
With  wonder  ;  there  are  ever-flowing  springs. 

Two  are  the  entrances  :  one  toward  the  north 
By  which  men  enter  ;  but  a  holier  one 


6 


The  Odyssey. 


Looks  toward  the  south,  nor  ever  mortal  foot 
May  enter  there.  By  that  way  pass  the  gods.  13s 
They  touched  the  land,  for  well  they  knew  the  spot 
The  galley,  urged  so  strongly  by  the  arms 
Of  those  who  plied  the  oar,  ran  up  the  beach 
Quite  half  her  length.  And  then  the  crew  came  forth 
From  the  good  ship,  and  first  they  lifted  out  140 
Ulysses  with  the  linen  and  rich  folds 
Of  tapestry,  and  laid  him  on  the  sands 
In  a  deep  slumber.  Then  they  also  took 
The  presents  from  the  hold,  which,  as  he  left 
Their  isle,  the  princes  of  Phaeacia  gave  14s 

By  counsel  of  wise  Pallas.  These  they  piled 
Close  to  the  olive-tree,  without  the  way, 

That  none,  in  passing,  ere  Ulysses  woke, 

Might  do  their  owner  wrong.  Then  homeward 
sailed 

The  crew;  but  Neptune,  who  could  not  forget  150 
The  threats  which  he  had  uttered  long  before 
Against  the  godlike  chief  Ulysses,  thus 
Sought  to  explore  the  will  of  Jupiter  :  — 

“O  Father  Jove!  I  shall  no  more  be  held 
In  honor  with  the  gods,  since  mortal  men,  135 

The  people  of  Phaeacia,  though  their  race 
Is  of  my  lineage,  do  not  honor  me. 

I  meant  Ulysses  should  not  reach  his  home 
Save  with  much  suffering,  though  I  never  thought 
To  hinder  his  return,  for  thou  hadst  given  160 

Thy  promise  and  thy  nod  that  it  should  be. 


1 


Book  XIII. 


7 


Yet  these  Phaeacians,  in  a  gallant  bark, 

Have  borne  him  o’er  the  deep,  and  while  he  slept, 
Have  laid  him  down  in  Ithaca,  and  given 
Large  gifts,  abundant  store  of  brass  and  gold,  165 
And  woven  work,  more  than  he  could  have  brought 
From  captured  Ilium,  if  he  had  returned 
Safely,  with  all  his  portion  of  the  spoil.” 

Then  cloud-compelling  Jupiter  replied  : 

“  Earth-shaker,  ruler  of  a  mighty  realm  !  17° 

What  hast  thou  said  ?  The  gods  deny  thee  not 
Due  honor  ;  perilous  it  were  for  them 
To  show  contempt  for  one  who  stands  in  age 
And  might  above  them  all.  But  if  among 
The  sons  of  men  be  one  who  puts  such  trust  17s 
In  his  own  strength  as  not  to  honor  thee, 

Do  as  seems  good  to  thee,  and  as  thou  wilt.” 

Promptly  the  god  who  shakes  the  shores  replied ; 
“  What  thou  dost  bid  me  I  would  do  at  once, 

But  that  I  fear  and  would  avoid  thy  wrath.  180 

I  would  destroy  that  fair  Phasacian  bark 

In  its  return  across  the  misty  sea 

From  bearing  home  Ulysses,  that  no  more 

May  the  Phaeacians  lend  an  escort  thus 

To  wandering  men,  and  I  would  also  cause  *ss 

A  lofty  mount  to  rise  and  hide  their  town.” 

Then  spake  again  the  Cloud-compeller  Jove  : 

“  Thus  were  it  best,  my  brother :  when  the  crowd 

Of  citizens  already  see  the  ship 

Approaching,  then  transform  it  to  a  rock  *9° 


8 


The  Odyssey. 


In  semblance  of  a  galley,  that  they  all 

May  gaze  in  wonder ;  thus  wilt  thou  have  caused 

A  lofty  mount  to  stand  before  their  town.” 

This  when  the  shaker  of  the  shores  had  heard, 
He  flew  to  Scheria,  the  Phseacian  isle,  195 

And  stood,  until  that  galley,  having  crossed 
The  sea,  came  swiftly  scudding.  He  drew  near 
And  smote  it  with  his  open  palm,  and  made 
The  ship  a  rock,  fast  rooted  in  the  bed 
Of  the  deep  sea,  and  then  he  went  his  way.  200 
Then  winged  words  were  spoken  in  that  throng 
Of  the  Phseacians,  wielders  of  long  oars, 

And  far  renowned  in  feats  of  seamanship. 

And,  looking  on  each  other,  thus  they  said  :  — 

“  Ha!  what  has  stayed  our  good  ship  on  the  sea? 
This  moment  we  beheld  her  hastening  home.”  206 
’T  was  thus  they  talked,  unweeting  of  the  cause. 
But  then  Alcinoiis  to  the  assembly  said  :  — 

‘‘Yes!  now  I  call  to  mind  the  ancient  words 
Of  prophecy,  —  my  father’s,  —  who  was  wont  210 
To  say  that  Neptune  sorely  is  displeased 
That  we  should  give  to  every  man  who  comes 
Safe  escort  to  his  home.  In  coming  times,  — - 
Such  was  my  father’s  prophecy,  —  the  god 
Would  yet  destroy  a  well-appointed  bark  215 

Of  the  Phaeacians  on  the  misty  deep 
Returning  from  an  escort,  and  would  cause 
A  lofty  mount  to  stand  before  our  town. 

So  prophesied  the  aged  man  ;  his  words 


Book  XIII. 


9 


Are  here  fulfilled.  Now  do  as  I  appoint,  220 

And  let  us  all  obey.  Henceforth  refrain 
From  bearing  to  their  homes  the  strangers  thrown 
Upon  our  coast ;  and  let  us  sacrifice 
To  Neptune  twelve  choice  bullocks  of  the  herd, 
That  he  may  pity  us,  nor  hide  our  town  225 

With  a  huge  mountain  from  the  sight  of  men.” 

He  spake,  and  they  were  awed  and  straightway 
brought 

The  bullocks  for  the  sacrifice.  So  prayed 
To  sovereign  Neptune  the  Phaeacian  chiefs 
And  princes,  standing  round  the  altar-fires.  230 
Now  woke  the  great  Ulysses  from  his  sleep 
In  his  own  land,  and  yet  he  knew  it  not. 

Long  had  he  been  away,  and  Pallas  now, 

The  goddess-child  of  Jove,  had  cast  a  mist 
Around  him,  that  he  might  not  yet  be  known  23s 
To  others,  and  that  she  might  tell  him  first 
What  he  should  learn  ;  nor  even  might  his  wife, 
Nor  friends,  nor  people,  know  of  his  return, 

Ere  he  avenged  upon  the  suitor  crew 
His  wrongs,  and  therefore  all  things  wore  to  him  240 
,  Another  look,  —  the  footways  stretching  far, 

The  bights  where  ships  were  moored,  the  towering 
rocks, 

And  spreading  trees.  He  rose  and  stood  upright, 
And  gazed  upon  his  native  coast  and  wept, 

And  smote  his  thigh,  and  said  in  bitter  grief :  —  245 
“  Ah  me !  what  region  am  I  in,  among 


10 


The  Odyssey. 


What  people?  lawless,  cruel,  and  unjust? 

Or  are  they  hospitable  men,  who  fear 
The  gods  ?  And  where  shall  I  bestow  these  goods, 
And  whither  go  myself?  Would  that  they  all  250 
Were  still  with  the  Phaeacians,  and  that  I 
Had  found  some  other  great  and  mighty  king 
Kindly  to  welcome  me,  and  send  me  back 
To  my  own  land.  I  know  not  where  to  place 
These  treasures,  and  I  must  not  leave  them  here,  255 
Lest  others  come  and  seize  them  as  a  spoil. 

Nay,  these  Phaeacian  chiefs  and  counsellors 
Were  not,  in  all  things,  either  wise  or  just. 

They  gave  their  word  to  land  me  on  the  coast 
Of  pleasant  Ithaca,  and  have  not  kept  260 

Their  promise.  O,  may  Jove  avenge  this  wrong ! 
He  who  protects  the  suppliant,  who  beholds 
All  men  with  equal  eye,  and  punishes 
The  guilty.  Now  will  I  review  my  stores 
And  number  them  again,  that  I  may  see  265 

If  those  who  left  me  here  have  taken  aught.” 

Thus  having  said,  he  numbered  all  his  gifts,  — 
Beautiful  tripods,  caldrons,  works  of  gold, 

And  gorgeous  woven  raiment ;  none  of  these 
Were  wanting.  Then  he  pined  to  see  again  279. 
His  native  isle,  and  slowly  paced  the  beach 

« 

Of  the  loud  sea,  lamenting  bitterly. 

There  Pallas  came  to  meet  him  in  the  shape 
Of  a  young  shepherd,  delicately  formed, 

As  are  the  sons  of  kings.  A  mantle  lay  *75 


Book  XIII. 


1 1 

Upon  her  shoulder  in  rich  folds  ;  her  feet 
Shone  in  their  sandals  :  in  her  hand  she  bore 
A  javelin.  As  Ulysses  saw,  his  heart 
Was  glad  within  him,  and  he  hastened  on, 

And  thus  accosted  her  with  winged  words  : —  230 

“  Fair  youth,  who  art  the  first  whom  I  have  met 
Upon  this  shore,  I  bid  thee  hail,  and  hope 
Thou  meetest  me  with  no  unkind  intent. 

Protect  what  thou  beholdest  here  and  me  ; 

I  make  my  suit  to  thee  as  to  a  god,  235 

And  come  to  thy  dear  knees.  And  tell,  I  pray, 
That  I  may  know  the  truth,  what  land  is  this  ? 

What  people?  who  the  dwellers?  may  it  be 
A  pleasant  isle,  or  is  it  but  the  shore 
Of  fruitful  mainland  shelving  to  the  sea?  290 

And  then  the  goddess,  blue-eyed  Pallas,  said : 

“  Of  simple  mind  art  thou,  unless  perchance 
Thou  comest  from  afar,  if  thou  dost  ask 
What  country  this  may  be.  It  is  not  quite 
A  nameless  region  ;  many  know  it  well  295 

Of  those  who  dwfell  beneath  the  rising  sun, 

And  those,  behind,  in  Evening’s  dusky  realm. 
Rugged  it  is,  and  suited  ill  to  steeds, 

Yet  barren  it  is  not,  though  level  grounds 

Are  none  within  its  borders.  It  is  rich  .300 

In  corn  and  wine,  for  seasonable  rains 

And  dews  refresh  its  soil.  Large  flocks  of  goats 

And  herds  of  beeves  are  pastured  here ;  all  kinds 

Of  trees  are  in  its  forests,  and  its  springs 


12 


The  Odyssey. 


Are  never  dry.  The  fame  of  Ithaca,  305 

Stranger,  has  travelled  to  the  Trojan  coast, 

Though  that,  I  hear,  lies  far  away  from  Greece.” 

She  spake  ;  Ulysses,  the  great  sufferer, 

Rejoiced  to  be  in  his  own  land,  whose  name 
Pallas,  the  child  of  aegis-bearing  Jove,  31c 

Had  just  now  uttered.  Then  with  winged  words 
He  spake,  but  not  the  truth ;  his  artful  speech 
Put  that  aside,  for  ever  in  his  breast 
The  power  of  shrewd  invention  was  awake  :  — 

“In  the  broad  fields  of  Crete,  that  lie  far  off  315 
Beyond  the  sea,  I  heard  of  Ithaca, 

To  which  I  now  am  come  with  these  my  goods. 

I  left  as  many  for  my  sons  and  fled, 

For  I  had  slain  Orsilochus,  the  fleet 
Of  foot,  the  dear  son  of  Idomeneus,  320 

Who  overcame  by  swiftness  in  the  race 
The  foremost  runners  in  the  realm  of  Crete. 

He  sought  to  rob  me  wholly  of  my  share 
Of  Trojan  spoil,  for  which  I  had  endured 
Hardships  in  war  with  heroes,  and  at  sea  325 

Among  the  angry  waves.  The  cause  was  this  : 

I  would  not  in  the  siege  of  Troy  submit 
To  serve  his  father,  but,  apart  from  him, 

I  led  a  troop,  companions  of  my  own. 

The  youth  returning  from  the  fields  I  met,  330 

And  smote  him  with  the  spear,  —  for  near  the  way 
I  lay  in  ambush  with  a  single  friend. 

A  night  exceeding  dark  was  in  the  sky ; 


Book  XIII. 


13 


No  human  eye  beheld,  nor  did  he  know 
Who  took  his  life.  When  I  had  slain  him  thus  33s 
With  the  sharp  spear  I  hastened  to  a  ship 
Of  the  Phoenicians,  and  besought  their  aid, 

And  gave  them  large  reward,  and  bade  them  steer 
To  Pylos,  bearing  me,  and  leave  me  there, 

Or  where  the  Epeians  hold  the  hallowed  coast  34c 
Of  Elis.  But  the  force  of  adverse  winds 
Drove  them  unwilling  thence;  they  meant  no  fraud. 
We  wandered  hither,  just  at  night  we  came  ; 

And  rowing  hard,  the  seamen  brought  their  ship 
Within  the  port.  No  word  was  said  of  food,  34s 
Though  great  our  need.  All  disembarked  in  haste 
And  lay  upon  the  shore.  Deep  was  the  sleep 
That  stole  upon  my  weary  limbs.  The  men 
Took  from  the  hold  my  goods,  and,  bearing  them 
To  where  I  slumbered  on  the  sand,  set  sail  330 
For  populous  Sidonia,  leaving  me 
Here  quite  alone  with  sorrow  in  my  heart.” 

He  spake ;  the  blue-eyed  goddess,  Pallas,  smiled, 
And  touched  the  chief  caressingly.  She  seemed 
A  beautiful  and  stately  woman  now,  35s 

Such  as  are  skilled  in  works  of  rare  device, 

And  thus  she  said  to  him  in  winged  words :  — 

“Full  shrewd  were  he,  a  master  of  deceit, 

Who  should  surpass  thee  in  the  ways  of  craft, 

Even  though  he  were  a  god,  —  thou  unabashed  360 
And  prompt  with  shifts,  and  measureless  in  wiles  1 
Thou  canst  not  even  in  thine  own  land  refrain 


14 


The  Odyssey. 

From  artful  figments  and  misleading  words, 

As  thou  hast  practised  from  thy  birth.  But  now 
Speak  we  of  other  matters,  for  we  both  365 

Are  skilled  in  stratagem.  Thou  art  the  first 
Of  living  men  in  counsel  and  in  speech, 

And  I  am  famed  for  foresight  and  for  craft 
Among  the  immortals.  Dost  thou  not  yet  know 
Pallas  Athene,  child  of  Jove,  whose  aid  37° 

Is  present  to  defend  thee  in  all  time 
Of  peril,  and  but  lately  gained  for  thee 
The  favor  of  the  whole  Phreacian  race  ? 

And  hither  am  I  come  to  frame  for  thee 

Wise  counsels,  and  to  hide  away  the  stores  375 

Given  by  the  opulent  Phseacian  chiefs 

At  thy  departure.  I  shall  also  tell 

What  thou  must  yet  endure  beneath  the  roof 

Of  thine  own  palace,  by  the  will  of  fate. 

Yet  bear  it  bravely,  since  thou  must,  nor  speak  ss« 
To  any  man  or  woman  of  thyself 
And  of  thy  wandering  hither,  but  submit 
To  many  things  that  grieve  thee,  silently, 

And  bear  indignities  from  violent  men.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  thus  rejoined  :  38s 

“  O  goddess,  it  is  hard  for  mortal  man 
To  know  thee  when  he  meets  thee,  though  his  sight 
Be  of  the  sharpest,  for  thou  puttest  on 
At  pleasure  any  form.  Yet  this  I  know, 

That  thou  wert  kind  to  me  when  we,  the  sons  390 
Of  Greece,  were  warring  in  the  realm  of  Troy. 


Book  XIII. 


15 


But  when  we  had  o’erthrown  the  lofty  town 
Of  Priam,  and  embarked,  and  when  some  god 
Had  scattered  the  Achaians,  after  that, 

Daughter  of  Jove,  I  never  saw  thee  more,  &r 

Never  perceived  thee  entering  my  bark 
And  guarding  me  from  danger,  —  but  I  roamed 
Ever  from  place  to  place,  my  heart  weighed  down 
By  sorrow,  till  the  gods  delivered  me, 

And  till  thy  counsels  in  the  opulent  realm  400 

Of  the  Phaeacians  brought  my  courage  back, 

And  thou  thyself  didst  guide  me  to  the  town. 

And  now  in  thy  great  father’s  name  I  pray,  — 

For  yet  I  cannot  think  that  I  am  come 

To  pleasant  Ithaca,  but  have  been  thrown  4°s 

Upon  some  other  coast,  and  fear  that  thou 

Art  jesting  with  me,  and  hast  spoken  thus 

But  to  deceive  me,  —  tell  me,  is  it  true 

That  I  am  in  my  own  beloved  land  ?  ” 

And  then  the  goddess,  blue-eyed  Pallas,  said  :  410 
“  Such  ever  are  thy  thoughts,  and  therefore  I 
Must  not  forsake  thee  in  thy  need.  I  know 
How  prompt  thy  speech,  how  quick  thy  thought, 
how  shrewd 

Thy  judgment.  If  another  man  had  come 
From  such  long  wanderings,  he  had  flown  at  once  41s 
Delighted  to  his  children  and  his  wife 
In  his  own  home.  But  thou  desirest  not 
To  ask  or  hear  of  them  till  thou  hast  put 
Thy  consort  to  the  trial  of  her  truth,  — 


i6 


The  Odyssey. 


Her  who  now  sits  within  thy  halls  and  waits  4=o 

In  vain  for  thee,  and  in  perpetual  grief 

And  weeping  wears  her  nights  and  days  away. 

I  never  doubted  —  well,  in  truth,  I  knew 
That  thou,  with  all  thy  comrades  lost,  wouldst  reach 
Thy  country,  but  I  dreaded  to  withstand  42s 

My  father’s  brother  Neptune,  who  was  wroth, 

And  fiercely  wroth,  for  that  thou  hadst  deprived 
His  well-beloved  son  of  sight  But  now 
Attend,  and  I  will  show  thee  Ithaca 
By  certain  tokens ;  mark  them  and  believe.  430 
The  port  of  Phorcys,  Ancient  of  the  Deep, 

Is  here  ;  and  there  the  spreading  olive-tree, 

Just  at  the  haven’s  head ;  and,  close  beside, 

The  cool  dark  grotto,  sacred  to  the  nymphs 
Called  Naiads,  —  a  wide-vaulted  cave  where  once  435 
Thou  earnest  oft  with  chosen  hecatombs, 

An  offering  to  the  nymphs,  —  and  here  thou  seest 
The  mountain  Neritus  with  all  his  woods.” 

So  spake  the  goddess,  and  dispersed  the  mist, 
And  all  the  scene  appeared.  Ulysses  saw  440 

Well  pleased,  rejoicing  in  his  own  dear  land, 

And,  stooping,  kissed  the  bountiful  earth,  and  raised 
His  hands,  and  thus  addressed  the  nymphs  in 
prayer  :  — 

“  Nymphs,  Naiads,  bom  to  Jove,  I  did  not  hope 
To  be  with  you  again.  With  cheerful  prayers  443 
I  now  salute  you.  We  shall  bring  you  soon 
Our  offerings,  as  of  yore,  if  graciously 


Book  XIII. 


1 7 


Jove’s  daughter,  huntress-queen,  shall  grant  me  yet 
To  live,  and  bless  my  well-beloved  son.” 

And  then  the  goddess,  blue-eyed  Pallas,  said  :  450 
“  Be  of  good  cheer,  and  let  no  anxious  thought 
Disturb  thy  mind.  Let  us  bestir  ourselves 
To  hide  away  the  treasures  thou  hast  brought 
Within  this  hallowed  grot  in  some  recess 
Where  they  may  lie  in  safety  ;  afterward  455 

Will  we  take  counsel  what  should  next  be  done.” 

The  goddess  said  these  words,  and  took  her  way 
Into  the  shadowy  cavern,  spying  out 
Its  hiding-places  ;  while  Ulysses  brought 
The  treasures  thither  in  his  arms,  — the  gold,  460 
The  enduring  brass,  the  raiment  nobly  wrought, — 
Which  the  Phasacians  gave  him.  These  they  laid 
Together  in  due  order ;  Pallas  then, 

The  daughter  of  the  yLgis-bearer  Jove, 

Closed  up  the  opening  with  a  massive  rock.  4«s 
Then,  sitting  by  the  sacred  olive-tree, 

They  plotted  to  destroy  the  haughty  crew 
Of  suitors,  and  the  blue-eyed  Pallas  said  :  — - 

“  O  nobly  born,  and  versed  in  many  wiles, 

Son  of  Laertes  !  now  the  hour  is  come  470 

To  think  how  thou  shalt  lay  avenging  hands 
Upon  the  shameless  crew  who,  in  thy  house, 

For  three  years  past  have  made  themselves  its  lords, 
And  wooed  thy  noble  wife  and  brought  her  gifts, 
While,  pining  still  for  thy  return,  she  gave 
Hopes  to  each  suitor,  and  by  messages 

B 


1 8 


The  Odyssey. 


Made  promises  to  all,  though  cherishing 
A  different  purpose  in  her  secret  heart.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  her  : 

“  Ah  me,  I  should  have  perished  utterly, 

By  such  an  evil  fate  as  overtook 

Atrides  Agamemnon,  in  the  halls 

Of  my  own  palace,  but  for  thee,  whose  words, 

O  goddess,  have  revealed  what  I  should  know. 
Now  counsel  me  how  I  may  be  avenged. 

Be  ever  by  my  side,  and  strengthen  me 
With  courage,  as  thou  didst  when  we  o’erthrew 
The  towery  crest  of  Ilium.  Would  thou  wert 
Still  my  ally,  as  then  !  I  would  engage, 

O  blue-eyed  Pallas,  with  three  hundred  foes, 

If  thou,  dread  goddess,  wouldst  but  counsel  me.” 

And  then  the  blue-eyed  Pallas  spake  again  : 

“  I  will  be  present  with  thee.  When  we  once 
Begin  the  work,  thou  shalt  not  leave  my  sight ; 
And  many  a  haughty  suitor  with  his  blood 
And  brains  shall  stain  thy  spacious  palace  floor. 
Now  will  I  change  thine  aspect,  so  that  none 
Shall  know  thee.  I  will  wither  thy  fair  skin, 
And  it  shall  hang  on  crooked  limbs  ;  thy  locks 
Of  auburn  I  will  cause  to  fall  away, 

And  round  thee  fling  a  cloak  which  all  shall  see 
With  loathing.  I  will  make  thy  lustrous  eyes 
Dull  to  the  sight,  and  thus  shalt  thou  appear 
A  squalid  wretch  to  all  the  suitor  train, 

And  to  thy  wife,  and  to  the  son  whom  thou 


Book  XIII. 


19 


Didst  leave  within  thy  palace.  Then  at  first 
Repair  thou  to  the  herdsman,  him  who  keeps 
Thy  swine  ;  for  he  is  loyal,  and  he  loves 
Thy  son  and  the  discreet  Penelope. 

There  wilt  thou  find  him  as  he  tends  his  swine,  510 
That  find  their  pasturage  beside  the  rock 
Of  Corax,  and  by  Arethusa’s  fount. 

On  nourishing  acorns  they  are  fed,  and  drink 
The  dark  clear  water,  whence  the  flesh  of  swine 
Is  fattened.  There  remain,  and  carefully  515 

Inquire  of  all  that  thou  wouldst  know,  while  I, 
Taking  my  way  to  Sparta,  the  abode 
Of  lovely  women,  call  Telemachus, 

Thy  son,  Ulysses,  who  hath  visited 

King  Menelaus  in  his  broad  domain,  520 

To  learn  if  haply  thou  art  living  yet.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  her  : 

“  Why  didst  not  thou,  to  whom  all  things  are  known, 
Tell  him  concerning  me?  Must  he  too  roam 
And  suffer  on  the  barren  deep,  and  leave  52s 

To  others  his  estates,  to  be  their  spoil  ?  ” 

And  then  the  blue-eyed  goddess  spake  again  : 

“  Let  not  that  thought  distress  thee.  It  was  I 
Who  sent  him  thither,  that  he  might  deserve 
The  praise  of  men.  No  evil  meets  him  there  ;  53° 

But  in  the  halls  of  Atreus’  son  he  sits, 

Safe  mid  the  abounding  luxuries.  ’T  is  true 
That  even  now  the  suitors  lie  in  wait, 

In  their  black  ship,  to  slay  him  ere  he  reach 


20 


The  Odyssey. 


His  native  land  ;  but  that  will  hardly  be  53s 

Before  the  earth  shall  cover  many  a  one 
Of  the  proud  suitors  who  consume  thy  wealth.” 

So  Pallas  spake,  and  touched  him  with  her  wand, 
And  caused  the  blooming  skin  to  shrivel  up 
On  his  slow  limbs,  and  the  fair  hair  to  fall,  540 

And  with  an  old  man’s  wrinkles  covered  all 
His  frame,  and  dimmed  his  lately  glorious  eyes. 
Another  garb  she  gave, —  a  squalid  vest ; 

A  ragged,  dirty  cloak,  all  stained  with  smoke ; 

And  over  all  the  huge  hide  of  a  stag,  545 

From  which  the  hair  was  worn.  A  staff,  beside, 
She  gave,  and  shabby  scrip  with  many  a  rent, 

Tied  with  a  twisted  thong.  This  said  and  done, 
They  parted  ;  and  the  goddess  flew  to  seek 
Telemachus  in  Sparta’s  sacred  town.  550 


BOOK  XIV. 

THEN  from  the  haven  up  the  rugged  path 
Ulysses  went  among  the  woody  heights. 

He  sought  the  spot  where  Pallas  bade  him  meet 
The  noble  swineherd,  who  of  all  that  served 
The  great  Ulysses  chiefly  had  in  charge  5 

To  bring  the  day’s  supplies.  He  found  him  there 
Seated  beneath  the  portico,  before 
His  airy  lodge,  that  might  be  seen  from  far, 


Book  XIV 


21 


Well  built  and  spacious,  standing  by  itself. 
Eumaeus,  while  his  lord  was  far  away,  m 

Had  built  it,  though  not  bidden  by  the  queen 
Nor  old  Laertes,  with  the  stones  he  drew 
From  quarries  thither.  Round  it  he  had  set 
A  hedge  of  thorns,  encircling  these  with  stakes 
Close  set  and  many,  cloven  from  the  heart  15 

Of  oak.  Within  that  circuit  he  had  made 
Twelve  sties,  beside  each  other,  for  the  swine 
To  lie  in.  Fifty  wallowed  in  each  sty, 

All  females  ;  there  they  littered.  But  the  males 
Were  fe  ver,  and  were  kept  without ;  and  these  2° 
The  suitor  train  made  fewer  every  day, 

Feeding  upon  them,  for  Eumaeus  sent 
Always  the  best  of  all  his  fading  herd. 

These  numbered  twice  nine  score.  Beside  them  slept 
Four  mastiffs,  which  the  master  swineherd  fed,  25 
Savage  as  wolves.  Eumaeus  to  his  feet 
Was  fitting  sandals,  which  he  carved  and  shaped 
From  a  stained  ox-hide,  while  the  other  hinds 
Were  gone  on  different  errands,  —  three  to  drive 
The  herds  of  swine,  —  a  fourth  was  sent  to  take  30 
A  fading  to  the  city,  that  the  crew 
Of  arrogant  suitors,  having  offered  him 
In  sacrifice,  might  feast  upon  his  flesh. 

The  loud-mouthed  dogs  that  saw  Ulysses  come 
Ran  toward  him,  fiercely  baying.  He  sat  down  33 
At  once,  through  caution,  letting  fall  his  staff 
Upon  the  ground,  and  would  have  suffered  there 


22  The  Odyssey. 

Unseemly  harm,  within  his  own  domain, 

But  then  the  swineherd,  following  with  quick  steps, 
Rushed  through  the  vestibule,  and  dropped  the  hide. 
He  chid  the  dogs  and,  pelting  them  with  stones,  41 
Drave  them  asunder,  and  addressed  the  king :  — 

“  O  aged  man,  the  mastiffs  of  the  lodge 
Had  almost  torn  thee,  and  thou  wouldst  have  cast 
Bitter  reproach  upon  me.  Other  griefs  45 

And  miseries  the  gods  have  made  my  lot. 

Here  sorrowfully  sitting  I  lament 
A  godlike  master,  and  for  others  tend 
His  fading  swine  ;  while,  haply  hungering  . 

For  bread,  he  wanders  among  alien  men  so 

In  other  kingdoms,  if  indeed  he  lives 
And  looks  upon  the  sun.  But  follow  me, 

And  come  into  the  house,  that  there,  refreshed 
With  food  and  wine,  old  man,  thou  mayst  declare 
Whence  thou  dost  come  and  what  thou,  hast  en¬ 
dured.”  55 

So  the  good  swineherd  spake,  and  led  the  way 
Into  the  lodge,  and  bade  his  guest  sit  down, 

And  laid  thick  rushes  for  his  seat,  and  spread 
On  these  a  wild  goat’s  shaggy  hide  to  make 
A  soft  and  ample  couch.  Rejoiced  to  meet  60 
So  kind  a  welcome,  thus  Ulysses  spake  :  — 

“May  Jupiter  and  all  the  deathless  gods 
Bestow  on  thee,  my  host,  in  recompense 
Of  this  kind  welcome,  all  thy  heart’s  desire  !  ” 

And  then,  Eumaeus,  thou  didst  answer  thus  : 


Book  XIV 


23 


“  My  guest,  it  were  not  right  to  treat  with  scorn 
A  stranger,  though  he  were  of  humbler  sort 
Than  thou,  for  strangers  and  the  poor  are  sent 
By  Jove ;  our  gifts  are  small,  though  gladly  given, 
As  it  must  ever  be  with  those  who  serve  7° 

Young  masters,  whom  they  fear.  The  gods  them¬ 
selves 

Prevent,  no  doubt,  the  safe  return  of  him 

Who  loved  me  much,  and  would  ere  this  have  given 

What  a  kind  lord  is  wont  to  give  his  hind, — 

A  house,  a  croft,  the  wife  whom  he  has  wooed,  75 
Rewarding  faithful  services  which  God 
Hath  prospered,  as  he  here  hath  prospered  mine. 
Thus  would  my  master,  had  he  here  grown  old, 
Have  recompensed  my  toils  ;  but  he  is  dead. 

O  that  the  house  of  Helen,  for  whose  sake  80 

So  many  fell,  had  perished  utterly  ! 

For  he  went  forth  at  Agamemnon’s  call, 

Honoring  the  summons,  and  on  Ilium’s  coast, 
Famed  for  its  coursers,  fought  the  sons  of  Troy.” 

He  spake,  and  girt  his  tunic  round  his  loins,  s3 
And  hastened  to  the  sties  in  which  the  herds 
Of  swine  were  lying.  Thence  he  took  out  two 
And  slaughtered  them,  and  singed  them,  sliced  the 
flesh, 

And  fixed  it  upon  spits,  and,  when  the  whole 
Was  roasted,  brought  and  placed  it  reeking  hot,  90 
Still  on  the  spits  and  sprinkled  with  white  meal, 
Before  Ulysses.  Then  he  mingled  wine 


24 


The  Odyssey. 


Of  delicate  flavors  in  a  wooden  bowl, 

And  opposite  Ulysses  sat  him  down, 

And  thus  with  kindly  words  bespake  his  guest :  —  95 
“  Feast,  stranger,  on  these  porkers..  We  who  serve 
May  feed  on  them  ;  it  is  the  suitor  train 
That  banquet  on  the  fatted  swine,  —  the  men 
Who  neither  fear  heaven’s  anger  nor  are  moved 
By  pity.  The  great  gods  are  never  pleased  wo 
With  violent  deeds  ;  they  honor  equity 
And  justice.  Even  those  who  land  as  foes 
And  spoilers  upon  foreign  shores,  and  bear 
Away  much  plunder  by  the  will  of  Jove, 

Returning  homeward  with  their  laden  barks,  105 
Feel,  brooding  heavily  upon  their  minds, 

The  fear  of  vengeance.  But  these  suitors  know  — 
For  haply  they  have  heard  some  god  declare  — 
That  he,  the  king,  is  dead  ;  they  neither  make 
Their  suit  with  decency,  nor  will  withdraw  no 

To  their  own  homes,  but  at  their  ease  devour 
His  substance  with  large  waste,  and  never  spare. 

Of  all  the  days  and  nights  which  Jupiter 
Gives  to  mankind  is  none  when  they  require 
A  single  victim  only,  or  but  two,  ns 

For  sacrifice,  and  lavishly  they  drain 
His  wine-jars.  Once  large  revenues  were  his. 

No  hero  on  the  dark-soiled  continent 

Nor  in  the  isle  of  Ithaca  possessed 

Such  wealth  as  he,  nor  even  twenty  men  wo 

Together.  Hear  me  while  I  give  the  amount. 


Book  XIV. 


25 


Twelve  herds  of  kine  that  on  the  mainland  graze 
Are  his,  as  many  flocks  of  sheep,  of  swine 
As  many  droves ;  as  many  flocks  of  goats 
Are  tended  there  by  strangers,  and  by  hinds,  125 
His  servants.  Here  moreover,  in  the  fields 
Beyond  us,  graze  eleven  numerous  flocks 
Of  goats,  attended  by  his  trusty  men, 

Each  one  of  whom  brings  daily  home  a  goat, 

The  finest  of  the  fatlings.  I  meantime  130 

Am  keeper  of  these  swine,  and  from  the  drove 
I  choose  and  to  the  palace  send  the  best.” 

So  spake  the  swineherd,  while  Ulysses  ate 
The  flesh  with  eager  appetite,  and  drank 
The  wine  in  silence,  meditating  woe  135 

To  all  the  suitors.  When  the  meal  was  o’er, 

And  he  was  strengthened  by  the  food,  his  host 
Tilled  up  with  wine  the  cup  from  which  he  drank, 
And  gave  it  to  Ulysses,  who,  well  pleased, 

Received  it,  and  with  winged  words  replied  : —  14° 

“  What  rich  and  mighty  chief  was  he,  my  friend, 
Of  whom  thou  speakest,  and  who  purchased  thee  ? 
Thou  sayest  that  he  died  to  swell  the  fame 
Of  Agamemnon.  Tell  his  name,  for  I 
Perchance  know  somewhat  of  him.  Jupiter  us 
And  the  great  gods  know  whether  I  have  seen 
The  man,  and  have  some  tidings  for  thy  ear ; 

For  I  have  wandered  over  many  lands.” 

And  then  again  the  noble  swineherd  spake  : 

“  O  aged  man,  no  wanderer  who  should  bring  150 


VOL.  11. 


2 


2  6 


The  Odyssey. 


News  of  Ulysses  e’er  would  win  his  wife 
And  son  to  heed  the  tale.  For  roving  men, 

In  need  of  hospitality,  are  prone 
To  falsehood,  and  will  never  speak  the  truth. 
The  vagabond  who  comes  to  Ithaca 
Goes  straightway  to  my  mistress  with  his  lies. 
Kindly  she  welcomes  him,  and  cherishes 
And  questions  him,  while  tears  abundantly 
Fall  from  her  lids,  —  such  tears  as  women  shed 
Whose  lords  have  perished  in  a  distant  land. 
Thou  too,  old  man,  perchance,  couldst  readily 
Frame  a  like  fable,  if  some  one  would  give 
A  change  of  raiment  for  thy  news,  — a  cloak 
And  tunic.  But  the  dogs  and  fowls  of  air 
Have  doubtless  fed  upon  the  frame  from  which 
The  life  has  passed,  and  torn  from  off  his  bones 
The  skin,  or  fishes  of  the  deep  have  preyed 
Upon  it,  and  his  bones  upon  the  shore 
Lie  whelmed  in  sand.  So  is  he  lost  to  us, 

And  sorrow  is  the  lot  of  all  his  friends, 

Mine  most  of  all  ;  for  nowhere  shall  I  find 
So  kind  a  master,  though  I  were  to  come 
Into  my  father’s  and  my  mother’s  house, 

Where  I  was  born  and  reared.  Nor  do  I  pine 
So  much  to  look  on  them  with  my  own  eyes, 
And  in  my  place  of  birth,  as  I  lament 
Ulysses  lost.  Though  he  be  far  away, 

Yet  must  I  ever  speak,  O  stranger  guest, 

His  name  with  reverence,  for  exceedingly 


Book  XIV 


2  7 


He  loved  me  and  most  kindly  cared  for  me ;  iso 
And  though  he  is  to  be  with  us  no  more, 

I  hold  him  as  an  elder  brother  still.” 

Ulysses,  the  great  sufferer,  thus  replied  : 

“  Since  then,  my  friend,  thou  dost  not  say  nor  think 
That  he  will  come  again,  nor  wilt  believe  185 

My  words,  I  now  repeat,  but  with  an  oath, 

Ulysses  will  return.  Let  this  reward 
Be  given  for  my  good  news  :  the  very  hour 
When  he  once  more  is  in  his  house,  bestow 
On  me  a  comely  change  of  raiment, — cloak  190 

And  tunic,  —  nor  will  I  accept  the  gift, 

Though  great  my  need,  until  he  comes  again. 

For  as  the  gates  of  hell  do  I  detest 
The  man  who.  tempted  by  his  poverty, 

Deceives  with  lying  words.  Now  Jupiter  195 

Bear  witness,  and  this  hospitable  board 
And  hearth  of  good  Ulysses  where  I  sit, 

That  all  which  I  foretell  will  come  to  pass. 

This  very  year  Ulysses  will  return. 

He,  when  this  month  goes  out,  and  as  the  next  200 
Is  entering,  will  be  here  in  his  domain, 

To  be  avenged  on  those,  whoe’er  they  be, 

That  dare  insult  his  wife  and  noble  son.” 

And  then,  Eumaeus,  thou  didst  answer  thus  : 

“  Old  man,  I  shall  not  give  thee  that  reward,  205 

For  never  will  Ulysses  come  again 

To  his  own  palace.  Drink  thy  wine  in  peace, 

And  let  us  give  our  thoughts  to  other  things. 


28 


The  Odyssey. 


Remind  me  not  of  this  again  •  my  heart 
Grows  heavy  in  my  bosom  when  I  hear  210 

My  honored  master  named.  But  leave  the  oath 
Unsworn,  and  may  Ulysses  come,  as  we 
Earnestly  wish,  —  I  and  Penelope, 

And  old  Laertes,  and  the  godlike  youth 
Telemachus.  And  then,  again,  I  bear  21s 

Perpetual  sorrow  for  Telemachus, 

My  master’s  son,  to  whom  the  gods  had  given 
A  generous  growth  like  that  of  some  young  plant, 
And  who,  I  hoped,  would  prove  no  less  in  worth 
Than  his  own  father,  and  of  eminent  gifts  220 

In  form  and  mind.  Some  god,  perchance  some  man, 
Hath  caused  that  mind  to  lose  its  equal  poise, 

And  he  is  gone  to  Pylos  the  divine 

For  tidings  of  his  father.  Meanwhile  here 

The  arrogant  suitors  plan  to  lie  in  wait  =25 

For  him  as  he  returns,  that  utterly 

The  stock  of  great  Arcesius  from  our  isle 

May  perish,  and  its  name  be  heard  no  more. 

Speak  we  no  more  of  him,  be  it  his  fate 
To  fall  or  flee  ;  but  O,  may  Saturn’s  son  230 

Protect  him  with  his  arm  !  And  now,  old  man, 
Relate,  I  pray,  thy  fortunes  ;  tell  me  true, 

That  I  may  know  who  thou  mayst  be,  and  whence 
Thou  earnest,  where  thy  city  lies,  and  who 
Thy  parents  were,  what  galley  landed  thee  233 

Upon  our  coast,  and  how  the  mariners 
Brought  thee  to  Ithaca,  and  of  what  race 


Book  XIV. 


They  claim  to  be ;  for  I  may  well  suppose 
Thou  hast  not  come  to  Ithaca  on  foot.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  him  : 

“  I  will  tell  all  and  truly.  Yet  if  here 
Were  store  of  food,  and  wine  for  many  days, 
And  we  might  feast  at  ease  within  thy  lodge 
While  other  labored,  I  should  hardly  end 
In  a  whole  year  the  history  of  the  woes 
Which  I  have  borne,  and  of  the  many  toils 
Which  it  hath  pleased  the  gods  to  lay  on  me.  ■ 
“  It  is  my  boast  that  I  am  of  the  race 
Who  dwell  in  spacious  Crete,  a  rich  man’s  son, 
Within  whose  palace  many  other  sons 
Were  born  and  reared,  the  offspring  of  his  wife ; 
But  me  a  purchased  mother  whom  he  made 
His  concubine  brought  forth  to  him.  And  yet 
Castor  Hylacides,  from  whom  I  sprang, 

Held  me  in  equal  favor  with  the  rest ; 

And  he  himself  was  honored  like  a  god 
Among  the  Cretan  people,  for  his  wealth 
And  for  his  prosperous  life  and  gallant  sons. 

But  fate  and  death  o’ertook  and  bore  him  down 
To  Pluto’s  realm,  and  his  magnanimous  sons 
Divided  his  large  riches,  casting  lots. 

Small  was  the  portion  they  assigned  to  me  ; 
They  gave  a  dwelling,  but  my  valor  won 
A  bride,  the  daughter  of  a  wealthy  house,  — 

PY>r  I  was  not  an  idler,  nor  in  war 
A  coward  ;  but  all  that  is  with  the  past, 


30 


The  Odyssey. 


And  thou,  who  seest  the  stubble  now,  mayst  guess 
What  was  the  harvest,  ere  calamities 
Had  come  so  thick  upon  me.  Once  did  Mars 
And  Pallas  lend  me  courage,  and  the  power  270 
To  break  through  ranks  of  armed  men.  Whene’er 
I  formed  an  ambush  of  the  bravest  chiefs, 

And  planned  destruction  to  the  enemy, 

My  noble  spirit  never  set  the  fear 
Of  death  before  me  ;  I  was  ever  first  275 

To  spring  upon  the  foes,  and  with  my  spear 
To  smite  them  as  they  turned  their  steps  to  flee. 
Such  was  I  once  in  war;  to  till  the  fields 
I  never  liked,  nor  yet  the  household  cares 
By  which  illustrious  sons  are  reared.  I  loved  280 
Ships  well  appointed,  combats,  polished  spears 
And  arrows.  Things  that  others  hold  in  dread 
Were  my  delight ;  some  god  inclined  to  them 
My  mind,  —  so  true  it  is  that  different  m#n 
Rejoice  in  different  labors.  Ere  the  sons  =35 

Of  Greece  embarked  for  Troy,  I  served  in  war 
Nine  times  as  leader  against  foreign  foes, 

With  troops  and  galleys  under  me,  and  then 
I  prospered  ;  from  the  mass  of  spoil  I  chose 
The  things  that  pleased  me,  and  obtained  by  lot  290 
Still  other  treasures.  Thus. my  household  grew 
In  riches,  and  I  was  revered  and  great 
Among  the  Cretans.  When  all-seeing  Jove 
Decreed  the  unhappy  voyage  to  the  coast 
Of  Troy,  they  made  the  great  Idomeneus 


295 


Book  XIV 


31 


And  me  commanders  of  the  fleet.  No  power 
Had  we  —  the  public  clamor  was  so  fierce  — 

To  put  the  charge  aside.  Nine  years  we  warred, — 
We  sons  of  Greece,  — and  in  the  tenth  laid  waste 
The  city  of  Priam,  and  embarked  for  home.  300 
Our  fleets  w7ere  scattered  by  the  gods.  For  me 
Did  all-disposing  Jupiter  ordain 
A  wretched  lot.  But  one  short  month  I  dwelt 
Happy  among  my  children,  with  the  wife 
Wedded  to  me  in  youth,  and  my  large  wealth.  30s 
And  then  I  planned  a  voyage  to  the  coast 
Of  Egypt,  with  a  gallant  fleet,  and  men 
Of  godlike  valor.  I  equipped  nine  ships, 

And  quickly  came  the  people  to  embark. 

Six  days  on  shore  my  comrades  banqueted,  310 
And  many  a  victim  for  the  sacrifice 
And  for  the  feast  I  gave ;  the  seventh  we  sailed 
From  Crete’s  broad  isle  before  a  favoring  wind 
That  blew  from  the  clear  north,  and  easily 
We  floated  on  as  down  a  stream.  No  ship  31s 
Was  harmed  upon  its  way ;  in  health  and  ease 
We  sat,  the  wind  and  helmsmen  guiding  us, 

And  came  upon  the  fifth  day  to  the  land 
Of  Egypt,  watered  by  its  noble  streams. 

I  bade  my  comrades  keep  beside  our  ships  320 
Upon  the  strand,  and  watch  them  well.  I  placed 
Sentries  upon  the  heights.  Yet  confident 
In  their  own  strength,  and  rashly  giving  way 
To  greed,  my  comrades  ravaged  the  fair  fields 


32 


The  Odyssey. 


Of  the  Egyptians,  slew  them,  and  bore  off  s=s 

Their  wives  and  little  ones.  The  rumor  reached 
The  city  soon ;  the  people  heard  the  alarm 
And  came  together.  With  the  early  morn 
All  the  great  plain  was  thronged  with  horse  and  foot, 
And  gleamed  with  brass;  while  Jove,  the  Thun¬ 
derer,  sent  330 

A  deadly  fear  into  our  ranks,  where  none 
Dared  face  the  foe.  On  every  side  was  death. 

The  Egyptians  hewed  down  many  with  the  sword, 

And  some  they  led  away  alive  to  toil 

For  them  in  slavery.  To  my  mind  there  came  33s 

A  thought,  inspired  by  Jove  ;  yet  I  could  wish 

That  I  had  met  my  fate,  and  perished  there 

In  Egypt,  such  have  been  my  sorrows  since. 

I  took  the  well-wrought  helmet  from  my  head, 

And  from  my  shoulders  dropped  the  shield,  and 
flung  340 

The  javelin  from  my  hand,  and  went  to  meet 
The  monarch  in  his  chariot,  clasped  his  knees 
And  kissed  them.  He  was  moved  to  pity  me, 

And  spared  me.  In  his  car  he  seated  me, 

And  bore  me  weeping  home.  Though  many  rushed 
At  me  with  ashen  spears,  to  thrust  me  through,  —  346 
For  furious  was  their  anger,  — he  forbade.  . 

He  feared  the  wrath  of  Jove,  the  stranger’s  friend 
And  foe  of  wrong.  Seven  years  I  dwelt  among 
The  Egyptians,  and  I  gathered  in  their  land  35° 
Large  wealth,  for  all  were  liberal  of  their  gifts. 


Book  XIV. 


33 


But  with  the  eighth  revolving  year  there  came 
A  shrewd  Phoenician,  deep  in  guile,  whose  craft 
Had  wrought  much  wrong  to  many.  With  smooth 
words 

This  man  persuaded  me  to  go  with  him  3ss 

Into  Phoenicia,  where  his  dwelling  lay 

And  his  possessions.  With  him  I  abode 

For  one  whole  year ;  and  when  its  months  and  days 

Were  ended,  and  another  year  began, 

He  put  me  in  a  ship  to  cross  the  sea  •  360 

To  Lybia.  He  had  framed  a  treacherous  plot, 

By  making  half  the  vessel’s  cargo  mine, 

To  lure  me  thither,  and  to  sell  me  there 
For  a  large  price.  I  went  on  board  constrained, 
But  with  misgivings.  Under  a  clear  sky,  365 

With  favoring  breezes  from  the  north,  we  ran 
O’er  the  mid  sea,  beyond  the  isle  of  Crete. 

When  we  had  left  the  isle,  and  saw  no  land 
But  only  sky  and  sea,  Saturnius  bade 
A  black  cloud  gather  o’er  our  roomy  ship.  370 

The  sea  grew  dark  below.  On  high  the  God 
Thundered  again  and  yet  again,  and  sent 
A  bolt  into  our  ship,  which,  as  it  felt 
The  lightning,  reeled  and  shuddered,  and  was  filled 
With  sulphur-smoke.  The  seamen  from  the  deck  375 
Fell  headlong,  and  were  tossed  upon  the  waves 
Like  seamews  round  our  galley,  which  the  God 
Forbade  them  to  regain.  But  Jupiter 
Gave  to  my  hands,  bewildered  as  I  was, 

2  * 


c 


34 


The  Odyssey. 


Our  dark-prowed  galley’s  mast,  unbroken  yet, 

That  by  its  aid  I  might  escape.  I  wound 
My  arms  around  it,  and  the  raging  winds 
Swept  me  along.  Nine  days  they  bore  me  on, 

And  on  the  tenth  dark  night  a  mighty  surge 
Drifted  me,  as  it  rolled,  upon  the  coast  385 

Of  the  Thesprotians.  There  the  hero-king 
Of  the  Thesprotians  freely  sheltered  me 
And  fed  me  ;  for  his  well-beloved  son 
Had  found  me  overcome  with  cold  and  toil, 

And  took  me  by  the  hand  and  raised  me  up,  390 
And  led  me  to  his  father’s  house,  and  gave 
Seemly  attire,  a  tunic  and  a  cloak. 

“  There  heard  I  of  Ulysses.  Pheidon  told 
How  he  received  him  as  a  guest  and  friend, 

When  on  his  homeward  voyage.  Then  he  showed  39s 
The  wealth  Ulysses  gathered,  brass  and  gold, 

And  steel  divinely  wrought.  That  store  might  serve 
To  feed,  until  ten  generations  pass, 

Another  household.  But  the  chief  himself, 

So  Pheidon  said,  was  at  Dodona  then ;  400 

For  he  had  gone  to  hear  from  the  tall  oak 
Of  Jupiter  the  counsel  of  the  God, 

Whether  to  land  in  opulent  Ithaca, 

After  long  years  of  absence,  openly 

Or  in  disguise.  The  monarch  took  an  oath  40s 

In  his  own  palace,  pouring  to  the  gods 

Their  wine,  that  even  then  the  ship  was  launched, 

And  the  crew  ready  to  attend  him  home. 


Book  XIV 


35 


But  me  he  first  dismissed.  There  was  a  ship 
Of  the  Thesprotians  just  about  to  make  410 

A  voyage  to  Dulichium,  rich  in  fields 
Of  wheat.  He  bade  them  take  me  faithfully 
To  King  Acastus  ;  but  another  thought 
Found  favor  with  the  crew,  a  wicked  scheme 
To  plunge  me  deeper  in  calamity.  415 

And  when  our  ship  had  sailed  away  from  land, 

They  hastened  to  prepare  me  for  a  life 
Of  slavery.  They  took  my  garments  off, 

Mantle  and  cloak,  and  clothed  me  in  a  vest 
And  cloak,  the  very  rags  which  thou  dost  see.  4=0 
The  evening  brought  them  to  the  pleasant  fields 
Of  Ithaca.  They  bound  me  in  the  ship 
With  a  strong  cord,  and  disembarked,  and  took 
A  hasty  meal  upon  the  ocean-side ; 

Easily  did  the  gods  unbind  my  limbs.  42s 

I  wrapped  a  tattered  cloth  about  my  head, 

And,  slipping  from  the  polished  rudder,  brought 
My  bosom  to  the  sea,  and  spread  my  hands, 

And  swam  away.  I  soon  had  left  the  crew 
At  distance  ;  then  I  turned  and  climbed  the  shore,  430 
Where  it  was  dark  with  forest,  and  lay  close 
Within  its  shelter,  while  they  wandered  round 
And  grumbled,  but  they  ventured  not  to  pass 
Into  the  island  farther  on  their  search. 

They  turned,  and  went  on  board  their  roomy  bark.  43s 
Thus  mightily  the  gods  delivered  me, 

Andthey  have  brought  me  to  a  wise  man’s  lodge, 


36 


The  Odyssey. 


And  now  I  see  it  is  my  lot  to  live.” 

Then  thou,  Eumaeus,  thus  didst  make  reply  : 
“Unhappy  stranger,  thou  hast  deeply  moved 
My  heart  in  telling  all  that  thou  hast  borne, 

And  all  thy  wanderings.  Yet  are  some  things  wrong. 
Thou  hast  not  spoken  of  Ulysses  well. 

Why  should  a  man  like  thee  invent  such  tales, 

So  purposeless  ?  Of  one  thing  I  am  sure  445 

Concerning  his  return,  —  the  gods  all  hate 
My  master,  since  they  neither  caused  his  death 
In  the  great  war  of  Troy,  nor,  when  the  war 
Was  over,  suffered  him  to  die  at  home, 

And  in  the  arms  of  those  who  loved  him  most ;  450 
For  then  would  all  the  Greeks  have  reared  to  him 
A  monument,  and  mighty  would  have  been 
The  heritage  of  glory  for  his  son  ; 

But  now  ingloriously  the  harpy  brood 

Have  torn  him.  I,  apart  among  my  swine,  433 

Go  never  to  the  town,  unless,  perchance, 

The  sage  Penelope  requires  me  there, 

When  some  one  comes  with  tidings  from  abroad. 
Then  those  who  sorrow  for  their  absent  lord, 

And  those  who  waste  his  substance,  both  inquire  450 
News  of  the  king.  For  me,  it  suits  me  not 
Ever  to  ask  for  tidings,  since  the  day 
When  an  Avtolian  with  a  flattering  tale 
Deceived  me.  He  had  slain  a  man,  and  came 
Vandering  in  many  lands  to  my  abode,  465 

^.nd  kindly  I  received  him.  He  had  seen, 


Book  XIV. 


37 


He  said,  my  master  with  Idomeneus, 

Among  the  Cretans,  putting  in  repair 
His  galleys,  shattered  by  a  furious  storm, 

And  in  the  summer  time  he  would  be  here,  470 
Or  in  the  autumn,  bringing  ample  wealth, 

And  his  brave  comrades  with  him.  Seek  not  then, 
O  aged  sufferer,  whom  some  deity 
Has  guided  hither,  to  amuse  my  grief 
With  fictions  that  may  bring  back  pleasant 
thoughts,  475 

Since  not  for  them  I  minister  to  thee 
And  love  thee,  but  through  reverence  for  Jove,  — 
The  stranger’s  friend,  —  and  pity  for  thyself.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  spake  again  : 

“  Within  thy  bosom  thou  dost  bear  a  heart  43° 

Of  slow  belief,  since  not  the  oath  I  take 
Persuades  or  even  moves  thee.  Make  we  now 
A  covenant,  and  let  the  gods  who  dwell 
Upon  Olympus  be  our  witnesses, 

That  when  thy  master  comes  to  this  abode  485 
Thou  wilt  bestow  a  tunic  and  a  cloak, 

And  wilt  despatch  me  clothed  in  seemly  garb 
Hence  to  Dulichium,  whither  I  would  go. 

But  if  he  come  not  as  I  have  foretold, 

Then  charge  thy  servants  that  they  cast  me  down  43c 
From  a  tali  rock,  that  never  beggar  more 
May  think  to  cozen  thee  with  lying  tales.” 

The  noble  swineherd  answered  him  and  said  : 

“  Great  would  my  honor  be,  and  I  should  gain 


38 


The  Odyssey. 


Great  praise  for  worth  among  the  sons  of  men,  493 
If,  having  welcomed  thee  into  my  lodge 
And  spread  the  board  for  thee,  I  took  thy  life  ; 
Then  boldly  might  I  pray  to  Saturn’s  son. 

But  see,  the  supper  hour  is  come,  and  soon 
Will  my  companions  be  within,  and  they  s°o 

Will  make  a  liberal  banquet  ready  here.” 

Thus  did  the  twain  confer.  Now  came  the  swine, 
And  those  who  tended  them.  They  penned  the  herd 
In  their  enclosure,  and  a  din  of  cries 
Rose  as  they  entered.  Then  the  swineherd  called  s°s 
To  his  companions  :  “  Bring  the  best  of  all. 

And  we  will  make  an  offering  for  the  sake 
Of  one  who  comes  from  far  and  is  my  guest. 

And  we  will  also  feast,  for  we  have  toiled 

Long  time  in  tendance  of  this  white-toothed  herd,  510 

And  others  waste,  unpunished,  what  we  rear.” 

So  spake  he,  and  began  to  cleave  the  wood 
With  the  sharp  steel ;  the  others  chose  and  brought 
A  fatted  brawn,  and  placed  him  on  the  hearth. 

Nor  was  the  swineherd  careless  of  the  rites  s^s 
Due  to  the  gods,  —  such  was  his  piety. 

From  off  the  white-toothed  victim  first  he  sheared 
The  bristles  of  the  forehead,  casting  them 
Into  the  flames,  and  prayed  to  all  the  gods 
For  wise  Ulysses  and  his  safe  return.  520 

Next,  with  a  fragment  of  the  oaken  trunk 
Which  he  had  just  then  cleft,  he  smote  the  boar, 
And  the  life  left  it.  Then  they  cut  its  throat, 


Book  XIV. 


39 


And,  having  singed  it,  quickly  hewed  the  parts 
Asunder,  while  the  swineherd  took  and  laid,  525 
On  the  rich  fat,  raw  portions  from  the  limbs 
For  sacrifice,  and  other  parts  he  cast, 

Sprinkled  with  flour  of  meal,  into  the  flames; 

The  rest  they  duly  sliced  and  fixed  on  spits, 

And  roasted  carefully,  and  drew  it  back,  533 

And  heaped  it  on  the  board.  And  now  arose 
The  swineherd  to  divide  the  whole,  for  well 
He  knew  the  duty  of  a  host.  He  made 
Seven  parts ;  and  one  he  offered  to  the  Nymphs, 
To  Hermes,  son  of  Maia,  one,  and  both  535 

With  prayer  ;  the  rest  he  set  before  the  guests, 

But,  honoring  Ulysses,  gave  to  him 

The  white-toothed  victim’s  ample  chine.  The  king, 

The  wise  Ulysses,  was  well  pleased,  and  said  :  — 

“Eumasus,  be  thou  ever  dear  to  Jove  540 

As  to  myself,  since  with  thy  benefits 
Thou  freely  honorest  such  a  one  as  I.” 

And  thou,  Eumaeus,  madest  answer  thus  : 

“  Eat,  venerable  stranger,  and  enjoy 

What  is  before  us.  At  his  pleasure  God  54s 

Gives  or  withholds  ;  his  power  is  over  all.” 

He  spake,  and  burned  to  the  eternal  gods 
The  firstlings,  and  poured  out  the  dark  red  wine, 
And  to  Ulysses,  spoiler  of  walled  towns, 

Who  sat  beside  the  table,  gave  the  cup.  ss° 

Meantime  to  each  Mesaulius  brought  the  bread,  — 
A  servant  whom  Eumaeus,  while  his  lord 


40 


The  Odyssey. 


Was  far  away,  had  taken  for  himself, 

Without  the  order  of  Penelope 
Or  old  Laertes  ;  from  the  Taphian  tribe  sss 

With  his  own  goods  he  bought  him.  Now  the  guests 
Put  forth  their  hands  and  shared  the  ready  feast ; 
And  when  their  thirst  and  hunger  were  appeased 
Mesaulius  took  the  bread  away,  and  all, 

Satiate  with  food  and  wine,  lay  down  to  rest.  s* 
Then  came  the  darkness  on,  without  a  moon  ; 
And  Jupiter  the  whole  night  long  sent  down 
The  rain,  and  strong  the  showery  west-wind  blew. 
And  now  to  try  the  swineherd,  if  with  all 
His  kindly  ministrations  to  his  guest  565 

He  yet  would  spare  to  him  his  cloak,  or  bid 
Another  do  the  like,  Ulysses  spake  :  — 

“  Eumseus,  hearken  thou,  and  all  the  rest, 

Thy  comrades,  while  I  utter  boastful  words. 

Wine  makes  me  foolish,  it  can  even  cause  57° 

The  wise  to  sing  and  laugh  a  silly  laugh 
And  dance,  and  often  to  the  lips  it  brings 
Words  that  were  better  left  unsaid.  But  since 
I  have  begun  to  prattle,  I  will  not 
Keep  back  my  thought.  I  would  I  were  as  young  57s 
And  in  the  same  full  strength  as  when  I  formed 
Part  of  an  ambush  near  the  walls  of  Troy. 

The  leaders  were  Ulysses,  and  the  son 

Of  Atreus,  Menelaus,  with  myself 

The  third,  for  they  desired  it.  When  we  reached  580 

The  city  and  the  lofty  walls  we  lay 


Book  XIV. 


4i 


Couched  in  a  marshy  spot  among  the  reeds 
And  thick -grown  shrubs,  with  all  our  armor  on. 

T  was  an  inclement  night,  and  the  north-wind 
Blew  bitter  chill,  the  cold  snow  fell  and  lay  5cs 
White  like  hoar-frost ;  ice  gathered  on  our  shields. 

I  The  rest  had  cloaks  and  tunics,  and  they  slept 
At  ease,  their  shoulders  covered  with  their  shields. 
I  only,  when  I  joined  the  squadron,  left 
My  cloak  unwisely,  for  I  had  not  thought  590 

Of  such  fierce  cold.  I  went  but  with  my  shield 
And  my  embroidered  girdle.  When  the  night 
Was  in  its  later  watches,  and  the  stars 
Were  turning  toward  their  set,  I  thus  bespake 
Ulysses  near  me,  thrusting  in  his  side  59s 

My  elbow,  and  he  listened  readily  :  — 

“  ‘  Son  of  Laertes,  nobly  born  and  wise  ! 

Ulysses,  I  shall  not  be  long  among 
The  living ;  for  I  perish  with  the  cold. 

I  have  no  cloak  ;  some  god  misled  my  thought,  600 
So  that  I  brought  one  garment  and  no  more, 

And  now  I  see  there  is  no  help  for  me.’ 

“  I  spake,  and  instantly  his  mind  conceived 
This  stratagem,  —  such  was  his  readiness 
In  council  and  in  battle,  —  and  he  said  605 

To  me  in  a  low  voice  :  £  Be  silent  now, 

And  let  no  others  of  the  Achaians  hear  !  ’ 

And  leaning  on  his  elbow  thus  he  spake  :  — 

“  ‘  Hear  me,  my  friends  :  a  dream  has  come  from 
heaven 


42 


The  Odyssey. 


Into  my  sleep.  Far  from  our  ships  we  lie  ;  6m 
And  now  let  some  one  haste  to  bear  from  us 
This  word  to  Agamemnon,  Atreus’  son, 

The  shepherd  of  the  people,  that  he  send 
More  warriors  to  this  ambush  from  the  fleet.’ 

“  He  spake,  and  Thoas  instantly  arose,  —  615 

Andrsemon’s  son,  —  and  threw  his  purple  cloak 
Aside,  and  hastened  toward  the  fleet.  I  took 
Gladly  the  garment  he  had  left,  and  lay 
Till  Morning  in  her  golden  chariot  came. 

And  now  I  would  that  I  were  young  again,  620 

And  in  the  vigor  of  my  prime,  for  then 
Some  one  among  the  swineherds  in  the  stalls 
Would  find,  I  think,  a  cloak  for  me,  through  love 
And  reverence  of  such  a  man  ;  but  now 
They  hold  me  in  slight  favor,  dressed  in  rags.”  625 

And  thus,  Eumgeus,  thou  didst  make  reply : 

“  O  aged  man  !  we  see  no  cause  of  blame 
In  thy  recital,  and  of  all  thy  words 
Not  one  is  unbecoming  or  inapt. 

Thou  shalt  not  lack  for  garments,  nor  aught  else  630 

That  any  suppliant  in  his  poverty 

Might  hope  for  at  our  hands  to-night.  With  morn 

Gird  thou  thy  tatters  on  again  ;  for  here 

We  have  not  many  cloaks,  nor  many  a  change 

Of  raiment,  —  only  one  for  each  of  us.  635 

But  when  the  son  of  our  Ulysses  comes 

Again,  he  will  provide  thee  with  a  cloak 

And  tunic,  and  will  send  thee  where  thou  wilt.” 


*  Book  XV. 


Aj 


He  spake  and  rose,  and  made  his  guest  a  bed 
Close  to  the  hearth,  and  threw  on  it  the  skins  640 
Of  sheep  and  goats,  and  there  Ulysses  lay, 

O’er  whom  the  swineherd  spread  a  thick  large  cloak, 
Which  he  had  often  worn  for  a  defence 
When  a  wild  winter  storm  was  in  the  air. 

Thus  slept  Ulysses  with  the  young  men  near.  645 
A  couch  within,  and  distant  from  his  charge, 
Pleased  not  the  swineherd,  who  first  armed  himself, 
And  then  went  forth.  Ulysses  gladly  saw 
That  while  he  was  in  distant  lands  his  goods 
Were  watched  so  faithfully.  Eumaeus  hung  ^ 0 

About  his  sturdy  shoulders  a  sharp  sword, 

And  wrapped  a  thick  cloak  round  him,  tempest-proof, 
And  took  the  hide  of  a  huge  pampered  goat, 

And  a  well-pointed  javelin  for  defence 
Both  against  dogs  and  men.  So  went  he  forth  6SS 
To  take  his  rest  where  lay  the  white-toothed  swine, 
Herded  and  slumbering  underneath  a  rock, 

Whose  hollow  fenced  themfrom  the  keen  north-wind. 


BOOK  XV. 

THEN  Pallas,  hastening  to  the  mighty  realm 
Of  Lacedaemon,  sought  the  illustrious  son 
Of  great  Ulysses,  to  remind  the  youth 
Of  home,  and  bid  him  think  of  his  return. 


44 


The  Odyssey. 


She  found  Telemachus  and  Nestor’s  son  s 

Upon  their  couches  in  the  portico 
Of  Menelaus,  the  renowned.  Deep  sleep 
Held  Nestor’s  son  ;  but  to  Telemachus 
The  welcome  slumber  came  not,  for  his  thoughts 
Uneasily  through  all  the  quiet  night  io 

Dwelt  on  his  father.  Now  beside  his  bed 
The  blue-eyed  Pallas  took  her  stand  and  spake  :  — 
“Telemachus,  it  is  no  longer  well 
That  thou  shouldst  wander  from  thy  home,  and  leave 
All  thy  possessions,  and  those  arrogant  men  15 
That  crowd  thy  halls.  Beware,  lest  they  devour 
Thy  substance  utterly,  dividing  all 
Among  them,  and  this  journey  be  for  naught. 

Make  suit  to  Menelaus,  great  in  war, 

Quickly  to  send  thee  home,  that  thou  mayst  join  20 
Thy  blameless  mother  in  thy  halls  ;  for  now 
Her  father  and  her  brothers  counsel  her 
To  wed  Eurymachus,  whose  gifts  exceed 
Those  of  the  other  suitors,  and  besides 
He  offers  a  yet  richer  bridal  dower.  25 

It  were  not  hard  without  thy  leave  to  take 
Wealth  from  a  palace.  What  a  wife  will  do 
Thou  knowest.  ’T  is  her  pleasure  to  increase 
The  riches  of  the  man  whom  she  has  wed. 

Care  of  her  former  children  has  she  none,  30 

Nor  memory  of  the  husband  whom  she  took 
While  yet  a  maid,  and  who  is  in  his  grave ; 

Of  these  she  never  speaks.  Return  thou,  then, 


Book  XV 


45 


And  give  thy  goods  in  charge  to  one  among 
The  handmaids  of  thy  household  who  shall  seem  3s 
The  fittest  for  the  trust,  until  the  gods 
Bring  thee  a  noble  wife.  Another  word 
Have  I  for  thee,  and  bear  thou  it  in  mind  : 

The  chief  among  the  suitors  in  the  strait 
Between  the  rugged  Samos  and  the  isle  40 

Of  Ithaca  are  lurking,  in  the  hope 
To  slay  thee  on  thy  voyage  home  ;  but  this 
I  think  they  cannot  do  before  the  earth 
Hold  many  of  the  suitor-crew  who  make 
Thy  wealth  a  spoil.  Steer  thou  thy  gallant  bark  45 
Far  from  the  isles ;  sail  only  in  the  night. 

Some  god,  whoever  it  may  be  that  keeps 
Watch  over  thee,  will  send  a  prosperous  gale. 

When  to  the  nearest  shore  of  Ithaca 
Thou  comest  in  thy  ship,  let  it  go  on,  50 

With  all  thy  comrades,  to  the  town,  while  thou 
Repairest  to  the  keeper  of  thy  swine, 

Whose  heart  is  faithful  to  thee.  There  remain 
With  him  that  night,  and  send  him  to  the  town 
With  tidings  to  the  sage  Penelope  ss 

That  thou  art  come  from  Pylos  and  art  safe.” 

So  having  said,  the  goddess  took  her  way 
Up  to  the  Olympian  height.  Telemachus 
Touched  with  his  heel  and  wakened  Nestor’s  son 
From  a  soft  slumber,  and  bespake  him  thus  : —  ^ 

“Rise,  Nestor’s  son,  Peisistratus,  and  bring 
The  firm-paced  steeds  and  yoke  them  to  the  car, 


4  6 


The  Odyssey. 


And  we  will  now  set  forth  upon  our  way.” 

And  Nestor’s  son,  Peisistratus,  replied  : 
“Telemachus,  whatever  be  our  haste, 

It  were  not  well  in  darkness  to  begin 

Our  journey,  and  the  morn  will  soon  be  here. 

Remain  till  Menelaus,  Atreus’  son, 

The  hero  mighty  with  the  spear,  shall  come, 

And  bring  his  gifts,  and  place  them  in  our  car,  7° 
And  send  us  on  our  way  with  kindly  words. 

Well  does  a  guest  remember  all  his  days 

The  generous  host  who  shows  himself  his  friend.” 

He  spake,  and  quickly  on  her  car  of  gold 
Appeared  the  Morn.  Then  Menelaus  came,  7s 
The  great  in  battle,  from  his  couch  beside 
The  fair-haired  Helen.  When  Telemachus 
Knew  of  the  king’s  approach,  the  hero  threw 
In  haste  his  tunic  o’er  his  noble  form, 

And  over  his  broad  shoulders  flung  a  cloak  so 
Of  ample  folds.  Then,  going  forth,  the  son 
Of  great  Ulysses  met  the  king  and  said  :  — 

“Atrides  Menelaus,  loved  of  Jove 
And  sovereign  of  the  people,  send  me  hence, 

I  pray,  to  the  dear  country  of  my  birth,  85 

For  earnestly  I  long  to  be  at  home.” 

And  Menelaus,  great  in  war,  replied : 

“  Telemachus,  I  will  not  keep  thee  long, 

Since  thou  so  much  desirest  to  return. 

I  am  displeased  with  him  who  as  a  host  9° 

Is  lavish  of  his  love,  for  he  will  hate 


Book  XV. 


47 


Bevond  due  measure  ;  best  it  is  to  take 
*  * 

The  middle  way.  It  is  alike  a  wrong 
To  thrust  the  unwilling  stranger  out  of  doors, 

And  to  detain  him  when  he  longs  to  go.  95 

While  he  is  with  us  we  should  cherish  him, 
i\nd,  when  he  wishes,  help  him  to  depart. 

Remain  until  I  bring  thee  worthy  gifts 
And  place  them  in  thy  chariot,  that  thine  eyes 
May  look  on  them  ;  and  I  will  give  command  100 
That  in  the  palace  here  the  women  spread 
A  liberal  feast  from  stores  that  lie  within. 

But  if,  in  turning  from  thy  course,  thou  choose 
To  pass  through  Hellas  and  the  midland  tract 
Of  Argos,  I  will  yoke  my  steeds  and  go  105 

With  thee,  and  show  the  cities  thronged  with  men  ; 
Nor  will  they  send  us  empty-handed  thence, 

But  bring  us  gifts  which  we  may  bear  away,  — 
Tripod,  perchance,  or  caldron  wrought  of  brass, 
Perchance  a  pair  of  mules  or  golden  cup.”  no 

Then  spake  discreet  Telemachus  in  turn: 

“  Atrides  Menelaus,  loved  of  Jove 
And  sovereign  of  the  people,  rather  far 
Would  I  return  to  my  own  home  ;  for  there 
Is  no  man  left  in  charge  of  what  is  mine,  «s 

And  I  must  go,  lest,  while  I  vainly  seek 
My  father,  I  may  perish,  or  may  lose 
Some  valued  treasure  from  my  palace  rooms.” 

The  valiant  Menelaus  heard,  and  bade 
His  wife  and  maidens  spread  without  delay 


120 


The  Odyssey. 


48 

A  ready  banquet  from  the  stores  within. 

Then  Eteoneus  from  his  morning  sleep. 

Son  of  Boetheus,  came,  for  very  near 
His  dwelling  was.  The  sovereign  bade  him  light 
A  fire  and  roast  the  flesh,  and  he  obeyed.  125 

And  then  into  the  fragrant  treasure-room 
Descended  Menelaus,  not  alone  ; 

Helen  and  Megapenthes  went  with  him. 

And  when  they  came  to  where  the  treasures  lay, 
Atrides  took  a  double  goblet  up,  130 

And  bade  his  son,  young  Megapenthes,  bear 
A  silver  beaker  thence,  while  Helen  stood 
Beside  the  coffers  where  the  embroidered  robes 
Wrought  by  her  hands  were  laid.  The  glorious 
dame 

Took  one  and  brought  it  forth,  most  beautiful  133 
In  needlework,  and  amplest  of  them  all. 

The  garment  glittered  like  a  star,  and  lay 
Below  the  other  robes.  Then,  passing  through 
The  palace  halls,  they  found  Telemachus, 

And  thus  the  fair-haired  Menelaus  spake  l  -  140 

“  Telemachus,  may  Jove  the  Thunderer, 

Husband  of  Juno,  grant  thee  to  return 
According  to  thy  wish  !  I  give  thee  here 
Of  all  the  treasures  which  my  house  contains 
The  fairest  and  most  precious.  I  present  14s 

A  goblet  all  of  silver,  save  the  lips, 

And  they  are  bound  with  gold ;  it  is  the  work 
Of  Vulcan.  Phaedimus  the  hero,  king 


Book  XV  49 

Of  the  Sidonians,  gave  it  me  when  once 

His  palace  sheltered  me.  He  gave  it  me  iso 

At  parting,  and  I  now  would  have  it  thine.’’ 

Atrides  spake,  and  gave  into  his  hands 
The  double  goblet.  Megapenthes  next 
Before  him  set  the  shining  beaker  wrought 
Of  silver.  Rosy  Helen,  holding  up  155 

The  robe,  drew  near,  and  spake  to  him  and  said  :  — 

“I  also  bring  to  thee,  dear  son,  a  gift, 

The  work  of  Helen’s  hands,  which  thou  shalt  keep, 
In  memory  of  her,  until  the  day 
Of  thy  desired  espousals,  when  thy  bride  160 

Shall  wear  it.  Let  it  in  the  mean  time  lie 
Within  thy  halls,  in  thy  dear  mother’s  care ; 

And  mayst  thou  soon  and  happily  arrive 
At  thy  fair  palace  and  thy  native  coast.” 

So  spake  she,  placing  in  his  hands  the  robe.  165 
He  took  it,  and  was  glad.  Peisistratus 
Was  moved  with  wonder  as  he  saw,  and  laid 
The  presents  in  the  car.  The  fair-haired  king 
Then  led  them  to  the  hall,  and  seated  them 
On  thrones  and  couches,  where  a  maiden  brought  170 
Water  in  a  fair  golden  ewer,  and  o’er 
A  silver  basin  poured  it  for  their  hands, 

And  near  them  set  a  table  smoothly  wrought. 

The  matron  of  the  palace  brought  them  bread 
And  many  a  delicate  dish  to  please  the  taste  17s 
From  stores  within  the  house.  Then  to  the  board 
Boetheus’  son  drew  near  and  carved  the  meats, 


VOL.  11. 


3 


D 


50 


The  Odyssey. 


And  gave  to  each  a  portion,  while  the  son 
Of  glorious  Menelaus  poured  the  wine. 

The  guests  put  forth  their  hands  and  shared  the 
food  18° 

That  lay  prepared  before  them.  When  the  calls 
Of  thirst  and  hunger  ceased,  Telemachus 
And  Nestor’s  famous  son  brought  forth  and  yoked 
The  steeds,  and  climbed  into  the  sumptuous  car, 
And  drove  from  out  the  echoing  portico.  185 

Atrides  Menelaus,  amber-haired, 

Went  forth  with  them,  and,  holding  in  his  hand 
A  golden  cup  of  generous  wine,  poured  out 
An  offering  for  their  voyage  to  the  gods. 

Before  the  steeds  he  took  his  stand,  and  first  190 
Drank  from  the  cup,  and  then  bespake  the  guests  :  — 

“  Now  fare  ye  well,  young  men,  and  when  ye  come 
To  Nestor,  shepherd  of  the  people,  give 
Greetings  from  me  ;  for  he  was  kind  to  me 
As  if  he  were  a  father,  when  the  sons  19s 

Of  Greece  were  warring  in  the  realm  of  Troy.” 

Then  spake  in  turn  discreet  Telemachus  : 

“  Assuredly  I  shall  relate  to  him, 

As  soon  as  I  am  with  him,  all  that  thou. 

O  foster-child  of  Jove,  hast  bid  me  say  ;  200 

And  would  to  heaven  I  might  as  surely  tell 
Ulysses  in  his  palace,  when  again 
I  come  to  Ithaca,  how  welcome  thou 
Hast  made  me  here,  and  how  I  came  away 
With  treasures  rich  and  many  from  thy  court.” 


205 


Book  XV 


5i 


As  thus  he  spake,  an  eagle  to  the  right 
Appeared,  that,  flying,  bore  a  large  white  goose, 
Clutched  from  the  tame  flock  in  the  palace  court ; 
And  men  and  women  ran  the  way  he  flew, 

And  shouted  after  him.'  Before  the  steeds  210 

Of  the  young  men,  and  still  on  the  right  hand, 

The  bird  went  sweeping  on.  They  saw  well  pleased, 
And  every  heart  was  gladdened.  To  the  rest 
Peisistratus,  the  son  of  Nestor,  said  ;  — 

“  Now  tell  me,  Menelaus,  loved  of  Jove,  215 

Prince  of  the  people  !  does  the  god  who  sends 
This  portent  mean  the  sign  for  us  or  thee?” 

He  spake ;  and  Menelaus,  dear  to  Mars, 

Paused,  thinking  how  to  answer  him  aright, 

When  thus  the  long-robed  Helen  interposed  : —  220 
“  Listen  to  me,  and  I  will  prophesy 
As  the  gods  prompt  me,  and  as  I  believe 
The  event  will  be.  Just  as  this  eagle  came 
From  the  wild  hills,  his  birthplace  and  his  haunt, 
And  seized  and  bore  away  the  water-fowl  225 

Reared  near  our  halls,  so  will  Ulysses  come, 

After  much  hardship  and  long  wanderings, 

To  his  own  home,  to  be  avenged  :  perchance 
Already  is  at  home,  and  meditates 
An  evil  end  to  all  the  suitor  crew.”  230 

Then  spake  discreet  Telemachus  in  turn  : 

“  May  Juno’s  husband,  Jove  the  Thunderer, 

So  order  the  event,  and  I  will  there 
Make  vows  to  thee  as  to  a  deity.” 


5  2  The  Odyssey. 

He  spake,  and  touched  the  coursers  with  the 
lash ;  23s 

And  through  the  city  rapidly  they  went 
And  toward  the  plain,  and  all  day  long  they  shook 
The  yoke  upon  their  necks.  The  sun  went  down  ; 
The  roads  all  lay  in  darkness  as  they  came 
To  Pherae,  and  the  house  of  Diodes,  240 

Whose  father  was  Orsilochus,  and  he 
The  offspring  of  Alpheius.  There  that  night 
They  slept ;  their  host  was  liberal  of  his  cheer. 

But  when  appeared  the  daughter  of  the  Dawn, 

The  rosy-fingered  Morn,  they  yoked  the  steeds  245 
And  climbed  the  sumptuous  car,  and  drove  afield 
From  underneath  the  echoing  portico. 

The  son  of  Nestor  plied  the  lash  ;  the  steeds 
Flew  not  unwillingly,  and  quickly  reached 
The  lofty  citadel  of  Pylos.  There  250 

Telemachus  bespake  his  comrade  thus  :  — 

“  Wilt  thou  consent  to  do  what  I  shall  ask, 

O  son  of  Nestor?  ’T  is  our  boast  that  we 
Are  friends  because  our  fathers  were  ;  besides, 

We  are  of  equal  age,  and  journeying  thus  253 

Has  made  our  friendship  firmer.  Take  me  not, 

O  foster-child  of  Jove,  beyond  the  spot 
Where  lies  my  galley,  lest  against  my  will 
The  aged  Nestor  should  detain  me  here 
Through  kindness,  when  I  needs  must  hasten 
home.” 

He  spake,  and  then  the  son  of  Nestor  mused 


260 


Book  XV. 


53 


How  what  his  friend  desired  might  best  be  done. 
And  this  seemed  wisest  after  careful  thought : 

He  turned  the  chariot  to  the  ship  and  shore, 

And  taking  out  the  garments  and  the  gold,  —  265 

Beautiful  gifts  which  Menelaus  gave,  — 

He  put  them  in  the  galley’s  stern,  and  thus 
Bespake  Telemachus  with  winged  words  :  — 

“  Embark  in  haste,  and  summon  all  thy  crew 
On  board  before  I  reach  my  home  and  tell  270 

The  aged  king.  I  know  how  vehement 
His  temper  is  ;  he  will  not  let  thee  go, 

But  hastening  hither  to  enforce  thy  stay, 

At  Pylos,  will  not,  I  am  sure,  go  back 
Without  thee  ;  his  displeasure  will  be  great.”  275 
He  spake,  and  toward  the  Pylian  city  turned 
His  steeds  with  flowing  manes,  and  quickly  reached 
His  home.  Meantime  Telemachus  held  forth 
To  his  companions,  thus  exhorting  them  :  — 

“  My  friends,  make  ready  all  things  in  our  ship  280 
And  mount  the  deck,  for  we  must  now  set  sail.” 

He  spake,  they  hearkened  and  obeyed,  and  leaped 
On  board  and  manned  the  benches.  While  he  thus 
Was  hastening  his  departure,  offering  prayer 
And  pouring  wine  to  Pallas  at  the  stern,  285 

A  stranger  came,  a  seer,  a  fugitive 
From  Argos,  where  his  hand  had  slain  a  man. 
Melampus  was  his  ancestor,  who  dwelt 
Some  time  in  Pylos,  mother  of  fair  flocks,  — 

Rich,  and  inhabiting  a  sumptuous  house  290 


I 


54  The  Odyssey. 

Among  the  Pylians.  Afterward  he  joined 
Another  people,  fleeing  from  his  home 
And  from  the  mighty  Neleus,  haughtiest 
Of  living  men,  who,  seizing  his  large  wealth, 

Held  it  a  year  by  force.  Melampus  lay  295 

Meantime  within  the  house  of  Phylacus 
Fast  bound,  and  suffering  greatly,  both  because 
Of  Neleus’  daughter,  and  of  his  own  mind 
Distempered  by  the  unapproachable 
Erinnys.  Yet  did  he  escape  from  death,  300 

And  drove  the  lowing  herds  to  Phylace 
And  Pylos,  and  avenged  his  cruel  wrong 
On  Neleus,  carrying  off  his  child  to  be 
A  consort  for  his  brother.  Then  he  came 
Into  the  realm  of  Argos,  famed  for  steeds  ;  3°s 

For  there  it  was  decreed  that  he  should  dwell, 

And  rule  o’er  many  of  the  Argive  race. 

And  there  he  took  a  wife  and  built  a  house,  — 

A  lofty  pile ;  and  there  to  him  were  born 
Antiphates  and  Mantius,  valiant  men.  310 

Antiphates  was  father  of  a  son, 

The  brave  O'icleus,  and  to  him  was  born 
Amphioraiis,  one  of  those  whose  voice 
Rouses  the  nations.  FEgis-bearing  Jove 
And  Phoebus  loved  him  with  exceeding  love  ;  31s 

Yet  reached  he  not  the  threshold  of  old  age, 

But,  through  the  treachery  of  his  bribed  wife, 
Perished  too  soon  at  Thebes.  To  him  were  born 
Two  sons,  x41cmaeon  and  Amphilochus. 


Book  XV. 


55 


Clytus  and  Polyphides  were  the  sons  320 

Of  Mantius  ;  but  Aurora,  she  who  tills 
A  golden  chariot,  bore  away  to  heaven 
Clytus  for  his  great  beauty,  there  to  dwell 
Among  the  immortals,  while  Apollo  gave 
To  Polyphides  of  the  noble  mind  325 

To  be  a  prophet,  first  of  living  men, 

Since  now  Amphiaraiis  was  no  more. 

His  father  had  displeased  him,  and  he  went 
To  Hyperesia,  where  he  dwelt,  and  there 
Revealed  to  all  what  yet  should  come  to  pass.  330 
It  was  his  son  who  now  approached ;  his  name 
Was  Theoclymenus  ;  he  saw  the  prince 
Telemachus,  who  stood  beside  the  swift 
Black  ship,  and,  pouring  a  libation,  prayed  ; 

And  thus  he  said  to  him  in  winged  words  : —  33s 

“  My  friend,  whom  here  beside  this  bark  I  find 
Making  a  pious  offering,  I  entreat 
Both  by  that  offering  and  the  deity, 

And  by  thy  life,  and  by  the  lives  of  these 

Who  follow  thee,  declare  to  me  the  truth,  340 

And  keep  back  naught  of  all  that  I  inquire,  — 

Who  art  thou,  from  what  race  of  men,  and  where 
Thy  city  lies,  and  who  thy  parents  are.” 

Then  spake  in  turn  discreet  Telemachus  : 
Stranger,  to  every  point  I  answer  thee.  345 

I  am  by  race  a  son  of  Ithaca, 

My  father  was  Ulysses  when  alive, 

But  he  has  died  a  miserable  death ; 


56 


The  Odyssey. 


Long  years  has  he  been  absent,  and  I  came 
With  my  companions  here,  and  this  black  ship, 
To  gather  tidings  of  my  father’s  fate.” 

Then  said  the  godlike  Theoclymenus : 

“  I  too,  like  thee,  am  far  away  from  home ; 

For  I  have  slain  a  man  of  my  own  tribe, 

And  he  had  many  brothers,  many  friends, 

In  Argos  famed  for  steeds.  Great  is  the  power 
Of  those  Achaians,  and  I  flee  from  them 
And  the  black  doom  of  death,  to  be  henceforth 
A  wanderer  among  men.  O,  shelter  me 
On  board  thy  galley !  I,  a  fugitive, 

Implore  thy  mercy,  lest  they  overtake 
And  slay  me  ;  they  are  surely  on  my  track.” 

And  thus  discreet  Telemachus  replied  : 

“  If  thou  desire  to  come  on  board  my  ship, 

I  shall  not  hinder  thee.  Come  with  us  then, 
And  take  a  friendly  share  in  what  we  have.” 

So  saying  he  received  his  brazen  spear, 

And  laid  it  on  the  good  ship’s  deck,  and  went 
Himself  on  board,  and,  taking  at  the  stern 
His  place,  he  seated  Theoclymenus 
Beside  him.  Then  the  mariners  cast  loose 
The  hawsers,  and  Telemachus  gave  forth 
The  order  to  prepare  for  sea.  They  heard 
And  eagerly  obeyed  ;  they  raised  the  mast, 

A  pine-tree  stem,  —  and,  bringing  it  to  stand 
In  its  deep  socket,  bound  it  there  with  cords, 
And  hoisted  by  their  strongly  twisted  thongs 


Book  XV. 


57 


The  ship’s  white  sails.  The  blue-eyed  Pallas  sent 
A  favorable  and  fresh-blowing  wind, 

That  swept  the  sky  to  drive  more  speedily  380 

The  galley  through  the  salt-sea  waves.  They  came 
To  Cruni,  and  to  Chalcis  pleasantly 
Watered  by  rivers.  Now  the  sun  went  down  ; 
Night  closed  around  their  way,  but  onward  still 
A  favorable  wind  from  Jupiter  38s 

Toward  Pherae  bore  them,  and  the  hallowed  coast 
Of  Elis,  where  the  Epeian  race  bear  sway, 

And  then  among  the  isles  whose  rocky  peaks 
Rise  from  the  waters.  Here  Telemachus 
Mused  thoughtfully  on  what  his  fate  might  be,  —  390 
To  perish  by  the  ambush  or  escape. 

Meantime  Ulysses  and  the  swineherd  sat 
At  meat  within  the  lodge ;  the  other  men 
Were  at  the  board,  and  when  the  calls  of  thirst 
And  hunger  ceased,  Ulysses  spake  to  try  393 

The  swineherd,  whether  he  were  bent  to  show 
Yet  further  kindness,  and  entreat  his  stay, 

Or  whether  he  would  send  him  to  the  town. 

“  Eumaeus,  hearken  thou,  and  all  the  rest. 
To-morrow ’t  is  my  wish  to  go  to  town,  400 

That  I  may  beg,  and  be  no  charge  to  thee 
And  thy  companions.  Give  me  thy  advice, 

And  send  a  trusty  guide  to  show  the  way. 

There  will  I  roam  the  streets,  for  so  I  must, 

And  haply  some  one  there  will  give  a  cup 
Of  wine  and  cake  of  meal.  And  when  I  find 
3* 


403 


58 


The  Odyssey. 


The  house  of  great  Ulysses,  I  will  tell 
The  sage  Penelope  the  news  I  bring. 

Nay,  I  would  even  go  among  the  crew 
Of  arrogant  suitors,  who  perhaps  might  give  410 
A  meal,  for  there  is  plenty  at  their  feasts, 

And  I  would  do  whatever  they  require. 

For  let  me  tell  thee,  and  do  thou  give  heed, 

There  lives  no  man  who  can  contend  with  me 
In  menial  tasks,  —  to  keep  alive  a  fire  415 

With  fuel,  cleave  dry  wood,  and  carve  and  roast 
The  meat  and  pour  the  wine,  —  whate’er  is  done 
By  poor  men  waiting  on  the  better  sort.” 

And  thou,  Eumaeus,  keeper  of  the  swine, 

Didst  answer  in  displeasure  :  “  Woe  is  me  !  420 

How  could  thy  bosom  harbor  such  a  thought  ? 

O  stranger  !  thou  must  surely  be  resolved 

To  perish  if  thy  purpose  be  to  go 

Among  the  suitor  crew,  whose  insolence 

And  riot  reach  the  iron  vault  of  heaven.  425 

Not  such  attendants  minister  to  them 

As  thou  art,  but  fair  youths  arrayed  in  cloaks 

And  tunics,  with  sleek  heads  and  smooth  of  face. 

These  wait  at  polished  tables  heavily 

Loaded  with  bread  and  flesh  and  wine.  Stay  thou  430 

Content  among  us,  sure  that  no  one  here 

Is  wearied  by  thy  presence,  neither  I 

Nor  any  of  my  fellows.  When  he  comes, 

The  dear  son  of  Ulysses  will  provide 

For  thee  the  garments  thou  dost  need,  —  a  cloak  435 


Book  XV. 


59 


And  tunic,  —  and  will  send  thee  where  thou  wilt.” 

Ulysses,  the  great  sufferer,  answered  thus  : 

“  I  pray  that  thou  mayst  be  as  dear  to  Jove, 

The  great  All-Father,  as  thou  art  to  me, 

Since  through  thy  kindness  I  enjoy  a  pause  440 
Amid  my  weary  wanderings.  There  is  naught 
Worse  than  a  wandering  life.  Unseemly  cares 
A  hungry  stomach  brings  to  homeless  men  ; 
Hardship  and  grief  are  theirs.  But  since  thou  wilt 
That  I  remain  and  wait  for  thy  young  lord,  445 
Speak  to  me  of  the  mother  of  thy  chief 
Ulysses,  and  his  father,  whom  he  left 
Just  on  the  threshold  of  old  age,  if  yet 
They  live,  and  still  may  look  upon  the  sun  ; 

Or  have  they  died,  and  passed  to  Pluto’s  realm  ?  ”  4:0 
And  then  in  turn  the  master  swineherd  spake : 

“  Rightly  and  truly  will  I  answer  thee, 

O  stranger !  still  Laertes  lives,  but  prays 
Continually  to  Jove  that  he  may  die 
In  his  own  house  ;  for  sorely  he  laments  455 

His  son  long  absent,  and  his  excellent  wife, 

Bride  of  his  youth,  whose  death  has  brought  on  him 
Sharp  sorrow,  and  old  age  before  its  time. 

By  a  sad  death  she  died,  —  through  wasting  grief 
For  her  lost,  glorious  son.  May  no  one  here,  460 
No  friend  of  mine,  nor  one  who  has  bestowed 
A  kindness  on  me,  die  by  such  a  death ! 

While  yet  she  lived,  great  as  her  sorrow  was, 

I  loved  to  speak  with  her  and  hear  her  words ; 


6o 


The  Odyssey . 


For  she  had  reared  me  with  her  youngest-born,  — 
Her  daughter,  long-robed  Ctimena.  With  her 
Was  I  brought  up,  and  scarcely  less  than  her 
Was  held  in  honor.  When  at  length  we  came 
Into  the  pleasant  years  of  youth,  they  sent 
The  princess  hence  to  Samos,  and  received 
Large  presents  ;  but  to  me  her  mother  gave 
Garments  of  price,  a  tunic  and  a  cloak, 

And  sandals  for  my  feet,  and  sent  me  forth 
Into  the  fields,  and  loved  me  more  and  more. 

All  this  is  over  now,  yet  must  I  say 
My  calling  has  been  prospered  by  the  gods. 
From  this  I  have  the  means  to  eat  and  drink, 
And  wherewithal  to  feast  a  worthy  guest ; 

But  from  the  queen  I  never  have  a  word 
Or  deed  of  kindness,  since  that  evil  came 
Upon  her  house,  —  that  crew  of  lawless  men. 
Greatly  the  servants  would  rejoice  to  speak 
Before  their  mistress,  and  inquire  her  will, 

And  eat  and  drink,  and  carry  to  their  homes 
Some  gift,  for  gifts  delight  a  servant’s  heart.” 

Again  Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  spake  : 

“  Swineherd  Eumaeus,  thou,  while  yet  a  child, 
Wert  doubtless  strangely  tossed  about  the  world, 
Far  from  thy  kindred  and  thy  native  land. 

Now  tell  me,  was  the  spacious  town  wherein 
Thy  father  and  thy  mother  dwelt  laid  waste  ? 

Or  wert  thou  left  among  the  flocks  and  herds 
Untended,  and  borne  off  by  hostile  men, 


465 

470 

47S 

480 

485 

490 


Book  XV. 


6 1 


Who  came  in  ships  and  sold  thee  to  the  lord 
Of  these  possessions  for  a  worthy  price  ?  ”  495 

And  then  the  master  swineherd  spake  aga.n  : 

“  Since  thou  dost  ask  me,  stranger,  hear  my  words 
In  silence ;  sit  at  ease  and  drink  thy  wine. 

These  nights  are  very  long  ;  there ’s  time  enough 

For  sleep,  and  time  to  entertain  ourselves  so& 

With  talk.  It  is  not  fitting  to  lie  down 

Ere  the  due  hour  arrive,  and  too  much  sleep 

Is  hurtful.  Whosoever  here  shall  feel 

The  strong  desire,  let  him  withdraw  and  sleep, 

And  rise  with  early  morn  and  break  his  fast,  505 
And  tend  my  master’s  swine.  Let  us  remain 
Within,  and  drink  and  feast,  and  pass  the  time 
Gayly,  relating  what  we  have  endured, 

Each  one  of  us  ;  for  in  the  after  time 

One  who  has  suffered  much  and  wandered  far  510 

May  take  a  pleasure  even  in  his  griefs. 

“  But  let  me  tell  what  thou  hast  asked  of  me  : 
Beyond  Ortygia  lies  an  island  named 
Syria  ;  thou  must  have  heard  of  it.  The  sun 
Above  it  turns  his  course.  It  is  not  large,  £15 

But  fruitful,  fit  for  pasturage,  and  rich 
In  flocks,  abounding  both  in  wine  and  wheat. 

There  never  famine  comes,  nor  foul  disease 
Fastens  on  wretched  mortals  ;  but  when  men 
Grow  old,  Apollo  of  the  silver  bow  £20 

Comes  with  Diana,  aims  his  silent  shafts, 

And  slays  them.  There  two  cities  stand,  and  share 


62 


1  he  Odyssey. 


The  isle  between  them.  There  my  father  reigned, 
The  godlike  Ctesias,  son  of  Ormenus, 

And  both  the  cities  owned  him  as  their  king.  s^s 
“  There  came  a  crew  of  that  seafaring  race, 

The  people  of  Phoenicia,  to  our  isle. 

Shrewd  fellows  they,  and  brought  in  their  black 
ship 

Large  store  of  trinkets.  In  my  father’s  house 
Was  a  Phoenician  woman,  large  and  fair,  53® 

And  skilful  in  embroidery.  As  she  came 
A  laundress  to  their  ship,  those  cunning  men 
Seduced  her.  One  of  them  obtained  her  love,  — 
For  oft  doth  love  mislead  weak  womankind, 

Even  of  the  more  discreet.  Her  paramour  535 
Asked  who  she  was,  and  whence.  She  pointed  out 
The  lofty  pile  in  which  my  father  dwelt. 

“  ‘  At  Sidon,  rich  in  brass,  I  had  my  birth,  — 

A  daughter  of  the  opulent  Arybas  ; 

And  once,  as  I  was  coming  from  the  fields,  540 

The  Taphian  pirates  seized  and  bore  me  off, 

And  brought  me  to  this  isle  and  sold  me  here, 

At  that  man’s  house ;  much  gold  he  paid  for  me.’ 

“Then  said  her  paramour  :  ‘Wilt  thou  not  then 
Return  with  us,  that  thou  mayst  see  again  54s 

Father  and  mother,  and  their  fair  abode? 

For  yet  they  live,  and  rumor  says  are  rich.’ 

“To  this  the  woman  answered  :  ‘  I  consent 
If  first  ye  take  an  oath,  —  ye  mariners,  — 

And  pledge  your  faith  to  bear  me  safely  home.’ 


55° 


Book  XV, ; 


63 


“  She  spake,  and  they  complied,  and  when  the 
oath 

Was  duly  taken,  thus  the  woman  said  :  — 

“‘Now  hold  your  peace  ;  let  none  of  all  the  crew 
Speak  to  me  more,  in  meeting  on  the  road 
Or  at  the  fountain,  lest  some  one  should  tell  5:5 
The  old  man  at  the  house,  and  he  suspect 
Some  fraud  and  bind  me  fast,  and  plot  your  death. 
Lock  up  your  words  within  your  breast ;  make  haste 
To  buy  supplies,  and  when  the  ship  is  full 
Of  all  things  needful,  let  a  messenger  560 

Come  to  me  at  the  palace  with  all  speed ; 

And  I  will  bring  with  me  whatever  gold 
My  hands  may  find,  and  something  else  to  pay 
My  passage.  I  am  nurse  to  the  young  heir 
Of  the  good  man  who  dwells  in  yonder  halls,  —  5% 
A  shrewd  boy  for  his  years,  who  oft  goes  out 
With  me,  —  and  I  will  lead  him  to  the  ship, 

And  he  will  bring,  in  any  foreign  land 
To  which  ye  carry  him,  a  liberal  price/ 

“  The  woman  spake,  and  to  our  fair  abode  570 
Departed.  The  Phoenician  crew  remained 
Until  the  twelvemonth’s  end,  and  filled  their  ship 
With  many  things,  and,  when  its  roomy  hull 
Was  fully  laden,  sent  a  messenger 
To  tell  the  woman.  He,  a  cunning  man,  575 

Came  to  my  father’s  house,  and  brought  with  him 
A  golden  necklace  set  with  amber  beads. 

The  palace  maidens  and  the  gracious  queen, 


64 


The  Odyssey. 


My  mother,  took  it  in  their  hands,  and  gazed 
Upon  it,  and  debated  of  its  price. 

Meantime  the  bearer  gave  the  sign,  and  soon 
Departed  to  the  ship.  The  woman  took 
My  hand  and  led  me  forth.  Within  the  hall 
She  found  upon  the  tables  ready  placed 
The  goblets  for  my  father’s  guests,  his  peers  ; 
But  they  were  absent,  and  in  council  yet 
Amid  a  great  assembly.  She  concealed 
Three  goblets  in  her  bosom,  and  bore  off 
The  theft.  I  followed  thoughtlessly.  The  sun 
Went  down,  and  darkness  brooded  o’er  the  ways. 
Briskly  we  walked,  and  reached  the  famous  port 
And  the  fast-sailing  ship.  They  took  us  both 
On  board,  and  sailed.  Along  its  ocean  path 
The  vessel  ran,  and  Jupiter  bestowed 
A  favorable  wind.  Six  days  we  sailed, 

Both  night  and  day;  but  when  Saturnian  Jove 
Brought  the  seventh  day,  Diana,  archer-queen, 
Struck  down  the  woman,  and  with  sudden  noise 
Headlong  she  plunged  into  the  hold,  as  dives 
A  sea-gull.  But  the  seamen  cast  her  forth 
To  fishes  and  to  sea-calves.  I  was  left 
Alone  and  sorrowful.  The  winds  and  waves 
Carried  our  galley  on  to  Ithaca  ; 

And  there  Laertes  purchased  me,  and  thus 
I  first  beheld  the  land  in  which  I  dwell.” 

And  then  again  the  great  Ulysses  spake  : 

“  Eumaeus,  the  sad  story  of  thy  wrongs 


Book  XV. 


65 


And  sufferings  moves  me  deeply;  yet  hath  Jove 
Among  thy  evil  fortunes  given  this  good, 

That,  after  all  thy  sufferings,  thou  art  lodged  610 
With  a  good  master,  who  abundantly 
Provides  thee  meat  and  drink ;  thou  leadest  here 
A  pleasant  life,  while  I  am  come  to  thee 
From  wandering  long  and  over  many  lands.” 

So  talked  they  with  each  other.  No  long  time  61s 
They  passed  in  sleep,  for  soon  the  Morning  came, 
Throned  on  her  car  of  gold.  Beside  the  shore 
The  comrades  of  Telemachus  cast  loose 
The  sails,  took  down  the  mast,  and  with  their  oars 
Brought  in  the  vessel  to  its  place.  They  threw  ^ 
The  anchors  out  and  bound  the  hawsers  fast, 

And  went  upon  the  sea-beach,  where  they  dressed 
Their  morning  meal,  and  mingled  purple  wine. 
Then,  when  the  calls  of  thirst  and  hunger  ceased, 
Discreet  Telemachus  bespake  the  crew  :  — •  625 

“  Take  the  black  ship  to  town.  I  visit  first 
The  fields,  and  see  my  herdsmen,  and  at.  eve 
Will  come  to  town.  To-morrow  I  will  give 
The  parting  feast,  rich  meats  and  generous  wine.” 

Then  said  the  godlike  Theoclymenus  :  630 

“  Whither,  my  son,  am  I  to  go  ?  What  house 
Of  all  the  chiefs  of  rugged  Ithaca 
Shall  I  seek  shelter  in  ?  with  thee,  perhaps, 

In  thine  own  palace  where  thy  mother  dwells.” 

And  thus  discreet  Telemachus  replied  :  635 

“  I  would  have  asked  thee  at  another  time 

E 


66 


The  Odyssey. 


To  make  our  house  thy  home,  for  there  would  be 
No  lack  of  kindly  welcome.  ’T  were  not  well 
To  ask  thee  now,  for  I  shall  not  be  there, 

Nor  will  my  mother  see  thee, —  since  not  oft  e4o 
Doth  she  appear  before  the  suitor-train, 

But  in  an  upper  room,  apart  from  them, 

Weaves  at  her  loom  a  web.  Another  man 

I  name,  Eurymachus,  the  illustrious  son 

Of  the  sage  Polybus,  to  be  thy  host.  645 

The  noblest  of  the  suitors  he,  and  seeks 

Most  earnestly  to  wed  the  queen,  and  take 

The  rank  ETlysses  held.  Olympian  Jove, 

Who  dwells  in  ether,  knows  the  fatal  day 
That  may  o’ertake  the  suitors  ere  she  wed.”  630 
As  thus  he  spake,  a  falcon  on  the  right 
Flew  by,  Apollo’s  messenger.  A  dove 
"Was  in  his  talons,  which  he  tore,  and  poured 
The  feathers  down  between  Telemachus 
And  where  the  galley  lay.  When  this  was  seen  655 
By  Theoclymenus,  he  called  the  youth 
Apart,  alone,  and  took  his  hand  and  said  :  — 

“  The  bird  that  passed  us,  O  Telemachus, 

Upon  the  right,  flew  not  without  a  god 

To  guide  him.  When  I  saw  it,  well  I  knew  660 

The  omen.  Not  in  Ithaca  exists 

A  house  of  a  more  kingly  destiny 

Than  thine,  and  ever  will  its  power  prevail.” 

And  thus  discreet  Telemachus  replied  : 

“  O  stranger,  may  thy  saying  come  to  pass  : 


Book  XV 


67 


Then  shalt  thou  quickly  know  me  for  thy  friend, 
And  be  rewarded  with  such  liberal  gifts 
That  all  who  meet  thee  shall  rejoice  with  thee.,, 

Then  turning  to  Piraeus  he  bespake 
That  faithful  follower  thus  :  “  Piraeus,  son  670 

Of  Clytius,  thou  who  ever  wert  the  first 
To  move,  at  my  command,  of  all  the  men 
Who  went  with  me  to  Pylos,  take,  I  pray, 

This  stranger  to  thy  house,  and  there  provide 
For  him,  and  honor  him  until  I  come.”  67S 

Piraeus,  mighty  with  the  spear,  replied  : 

“  Telemachus,  however  long  thy  stay, 

This  man  shall  be  my  guest,  nor  ever  lack 
Beneath  my  roof  for  hospitable  care.” 

He  spake,  and  climbed  the  deck,  and  bade  his 
men  680 

Enter  the  ship  and  cast  the  fastenings  loose. 
Quickly  they  came  together,  went  on  board 
And  manned  the  benches,  while  Telemachus 
Bound  the  fair  sandals  to  his  feet,  and  took 
His  massive  spear  with  its  sharp  blade  of  brass  685 
That  lay  upon  the  deck.  The  men  unbound 
The  hawsers,  shoved  the  galley  forth,  and  sailed 
Townward,  as  they  were  bidden  by  the  son 
Of  great  Ulysses.  Meantime  the  quick  feet 
Of  the  young  chieftain  bore  him  on  until  69o 

He  reached  the  lodge  where  his  great  herds  of  swine 
Were  fed,  and,  careful  of  his  master’s  wealth, 

Beside  his  charge  the  worthy  swineherd  slept. 


68 


The  Odyssey. 


BOOK  XVI. 

MEANTIME  Ulysses  and  that  noble  hind 

The  swineherd,  in  the  lodge,  at  early  dawn, 
Lighted  a  fire,  prepared  a  meal,  and  sent 
The  herdsmen  forth  to  drive  the  swine  afield. 

The  dogs,  so  apt  to  bark,  came  fawning  round,  s 
And  barked  not  as  Telemachus  drew  near. 

Ulysses  heard  the  sound  of  coming  feet, 

And  marked  the  crouching  dogs,  and  suddenly 
Bespake  Eumreus  thus  with  winged  words  :  — 

“  Eummus,  without  doubt  some  friend  of  thine,  » 
Or  some  one  known  familiarly,  is  near. 

There  is  no  barking  of  the  dogs ;  they  fawn 
Around  him,  and  I  hear  the  sound  of  feet.” 

Scarce  had  he  spoken,  when  within  the  porch 
Stood  his  dear  son.  The  swineherd  starting  up,  15 
Surprised,  let  fall  the  vessels  from  his  hands 
In  which  he  mingled  the  rich  wines,  and  flew 
To  meet  his  master ;  kissed  him  on  the  brow ; 
Kissed  both  his  shining  eyes  and  both  his  hands, 
With  many  tears.  As  when  a  father  takes  20 

Into  his  arms  a  son  whom  tenderly 
He  loves,  returning  from  a  distant  land 
In  the  tenth  year,  —  his  only  son,  the  child 
Of  his  old  age,  for  whom  he  long  has  borne 
Hardship  and  grief,  —  so  to  Telemachus  =5 

The  swineherd  clung,  and  kissed  him  o’er  and  o’er, 


Book  XVI. 


69 


As  one  escaped  from  death,  and,  shedding  still 
Warm  tears,  bespake  him  thus  with  winged  words : — 
“  Thou  comest,  O  Telemachus  !  the  light 
Is  not  more  sweet  to  me.  I  never  thought  30 

To  see  thee  more  when  thou  hadst  once  embarked 
For  Pylos.  Now  come  in,  beloved  child, 

And  let  my  heart  rejoice  that  once  again 
I  have  thee  here,  so  newly  come  from  far. 

For  ’t  is  not  often  that  thou  visitest  35 

Herdsmen  and  fields,  but  dwellest  in  the  town,  — 
Such  is  thy  will,  —  beholding  day  by  day 
The  wasteful  pillage  of  the  suitor-train.” 

And  thus  discreet  Telemachus  replied : 

“  So  be  it,  father  ;  for  thy  sake  I  came  4° 

To  see  thee  with  these  eyes,  and  hear  thee  speak 
And  tell  me  if  my  mother  dwells  within 
The  palace  yet ;  or  has  some  wooer  led 
The  queen  away,  his  bride,  and  does  the  couch 
Of  great  Ulysses  lie  untapestried,  as 

With  ugly  cobwebs  gathering  over  it  ?  ” 

And  then  the  master  swineherd  spake  in  turn : 

“  Most  true  it  is  that  with  a  constant  mind 
The  queen  inhabits  yet  thy  palace  halls, 

And  wastes  in  tears  her  wretched  nights  and  days.” 

So  speaking  he  received  his  brazen  lance,  si 
And  over  the  stone  threshold  passed  the  prince 
Into  the  lodge.  Ulysses  yielded  up 
His  seat  to  him ;  Telemachus  forbade. 

“  Nay,  stranger,  sit ;  it  shall  be  ours  to  find  55 


70 


The  Odyssey. 


Elsewhere  a  seat  in  this  our  lodge,  and  he 
Who  should  provide  it  is  already  here.” 

He  spake  ;  Ulysses  turned,  and  took  again 
His  place  ;  the  swineherd  made  a  pile  of  twigs 
And  covered  it  with  skins,  on  which  sat  down  & 
The  dear  son  of  Ulysses.  Next  he  brought 
Dishes  of  roasted  meats  which  yet  remained, 

Part  of  the  banquet  of  the  day  before, 

And  heaped  the  canisters  with  bread,  and  mixed 
The  rich  wines  in  a  wooden  bowl.  He  sat  e3 

Right  opposite  Ulysses.  All  put  forth 
Their  hands  and  shared  the  meats  upon  the  board ; 
And  when  the  calls  of  thirst  and  hunger  ceased, 
Thus  to  the  swineherd  said  Telemachus  :  — 

“  Whence,  father,  is  this  stranger,  and  how 
brought  70 

By  seamen  to  the  coast  of  Ithaca  ? 

And  who  are  they  that  brought  him  ? — for  I  deeln 
He  came  not  over  to  our  isle  on  foot” 

And  thus,  Eumaeus,  thou  didst  make  reply  : 
‘‘True  answer  will  I  make  to  all.  He  claims  75 
To  be  a  son  of  the  broad  isle  of  Crete, 

And  says  that  in  his  wanderings  he  has  passed 
Through  many  cities  of  the  world,  for  so 
Some  god  ordained  ;  and  now,  escaped  by  flight 
From  a  Thesprotian  galley,  he  has  sought  so 

A  refuge  in  my  lodge.  Into  thy  hands 
I  give  him ;  deal  thou  with  him  as  thou  wilt. 

He  is  thy  suppliant,  and  makes  suit  to  thee.” 


Book  XVI. 


Then  spake  discreet  Telemachus  again  : 

“  Eumaeus,  thou  hast  uttered  words  that  pierce 
My  heart  with  pain  ;  for  how  can  I  receive 
A  stranger  at  my  house  ?  I  am  a  youth 
Who  never  yet  has  trusted  in  his  arm 
To  beat  the  offerer  of  an  insult  back. 

And  in  my  mother’s  mind  the  choice  is  yet 
Uncertain  whether  to  remain  with  me 
The  mistress  of  my  household,  keeping  still 
Her  constant  reverence  for  her  husband’s  bed, 
And  still  obedient  to  the  people’s  voice, 

Or  whether  she  shall  follow  as  a  bride 
Him  of  the  Achaian  suitors  in  my  halls 
Who  is  accounted  worthiest,  and  who  brings 
The  richest  gifts.  Now,  as  to  this  thy  guest, 
Since  he  has  sought  thy  lodge,  I  give  to  him 
A  a  cloak  and  tunic,  seemly  of  their  kind, 

A  two-edged  sword,  and  sandals  for  his  feet. 
And  I  will  send  him  to  whatever  coast 
He  may  desire  to  go.  Yet,  if  thou  wilt, 

Lodge  him  beneath  thy  roof,  and  I  will  send 
Raiment  and  food,  that  he  may  be  no  charge 
To  thee  or  thy  companions.  To  my  house 
Among  the  suitor-train  I  cannot  bear 
That  he  should  go.  Those  men  are  insolent 
Beyond  all  measure  ;  they  would  scoff  at  him, 
And  greatly  should  I  grieve.  The  boldest  mais 
Against  so  many  might  contend  in  vain, 

And  greater  is  their  power  by  far  than  mine.” 


72 


The  Odyssey. 


Then  spake  Ulysses,  the  great  sufferer : 

“  O  friend,  —  since  I  have  liberty  to  speak,  — 

My  very  heart  is  wounded  when  I  hear  ns 

What  wrongs  the  suitors  practise  in  thy  halls 
Against  a  youth  like  thee.  But  give  me  leave 
To  ask  if  thou  submittest  willingly, 

Or  do  thy  people,  hearkening  to  some  god, 

Hate  thee  with  open  hatred  ?  Dost  thou  blame 
Thy  brothers  ?  —  for  in  brothers  men  confide 
Even  in  a  desperate  conflict  Would  that  I 
Were  young  again,  and  with  the  will  I  have, 

Or  that  I  could  become  Ulysses’  son, 

Or  were  that  chief  himself  returned  at  last  125 

From  all  his  wanderings,  —  and  there  yet  is  hope 
Of  his  return,  —  then  might  another  strike 
My  head  off  if  I  would  not  instantly 
Enter  the  house  of  Laertiades 

And  make  myself  a  mischief  to  them  all.  130 

But  should  they  overcome  me,  thus  alone 
Contending  with  such  numbers,  I  would  choose 
Rather  in  mine  own  palace  to  be  slain 
Than  every  day  behold  such  shameful  deeds,  — 
Insulted  guests,  maid-servants  foully  dragged  133 
Through  those  fair  palace  chambers,  wine-casks 
drained, 

And  gluttons  feasting  idly,  wastefully, 

And  others  toiling  for  them  without  end.” 

Then  spake  again  discreet  Telemachus  : 

“  Stranger,  thou  shalt  be  answered  faithfully. 


140 


Book  XVI 


7  3 


Know,  then,  the  people  are  by  no  means  wroth 
With  me,  nor  have  I  brothers  to  accuse, 

Though  in  a  desperate  conflict  men  rely 
Upon  a  brother’s  aid.  Saturnian  Jove 
Confines  our  lineage  to  a  single  head.  145 

The  king  Arcesius  had  an  only  son, 

Laertes,  and  to  him  was  only  born 
Ulysses  ;  and  Ulysses  left  me  here, 

The  only  scion  of  his  house,  and  he 

Had  little  joy  of  me.  Our  halls  are  filled  15° 

With  enemies,  the  chief  men  of  the  isles,  — 

Dulichium,  Samos,  and  Zacynthus  dark 

With  forests,  and  the  rugged  Ithaca,  — 

So  many  woo  my  mother  and  consume 
Our  substance.  She  rejects  not  utterly  15s 

Their  hateful  suit,  nor  yet  will  give  consent 
And  end  it.  They  go  on  to  waste  my  wealth, 

And  soon  will  end  me  also ;  but  the  event 
Rests  with  the  gods.  —  And  go  thou  now  with 
speed, 

Eumaeus,  father,  to  Penelope,  160 

And  say  that  I  am  safe,  and  just  returned 
From  Pylos.  I  remain  within  the  lodge. 

And  then  come  back  as  soon  as  thou  hast  told 
The  queen  qlone.  Let  none  of  all  the'  Greeks 
Hear  aught ;  for  they  are  plotting  harm  to  me.”  165 
Then  thus,  Eumaeus,  thou  didst  make  reply : 

“  Enough,  I  see  it  all,  thy  words  are  said 
To  one  who  understands  them.  But,  I  pray, 
vol.  11.  4 


b 


74 


The  Odyssey. 


Direct  me  whether  in  my  way  to  take 
A  message  to  -Laertes,  the  distressed.  170 

While  sorrowing  for  Ulysses  he  o’ersaw 
The  labors  of  the  field,  and  ate  and  drank, 

As  he  had  appetite,  with  those  who  wrought. 

But  since  thy  voyage  to  the  Pylian  coast 

They  say  he  never  takes  his  daily  meals  17s 

As  he  was  wont,  nor  oversees  the  work, 

But  sits  and  mourns  and  sighs  and  pines  away, 
Until  his  limbs  are  shrivelled  to  the  bone.” 

Then  spake  discreet  Telemachus  again  : 

“  ’T  is  sad,  but  we  must  leave  him  to  his  grief  180 
A  little  while.  Could  everything  be  made 
To  happen  as  we  mortals  wish,  I  then 
Would  first  desire  my  father’s  safe  return. 

But  thou,  when  thou  hast  given  thy  message,  haste 
Hither  again,  nor  wander  through  the  fields  185 
To  him  ;  but  let  my  mother  send  at  once 
The  matron  of  her  household,  privately, 

To  bear  the  tidings  to  the  aged  man.” 

He  spake  to  speed  the  swineherd,  who  took  up 
His  sandals,  bound  them  on,  and  bent  his  way  190 
Townward.  Not  unperceived  by  Pallas  went 
Euinaeus  from  the  lodge.  She  came  in  shape 
A  woman  beautiful  and  stately,  skilled 
In  household  arts,  the  noblest.  Near  the  gate 
She  stood,  right  opposite.  Ulysses  saw  \  19s 

Telemachus  beheld  her  not ;  the  gods 
Not  always  manifest  themselves  to  all. 


Book  XVI. 


75 


Ulysses  and  the  mastiffs  saw ;  the  dogs 
Barked  not,  but,  whimpering,  fled  from  her  and 
sought 

The  stalls  within.  She  beckoned  with  her  brows ;  200 
Ulysses  knew  her  meaning  and  came  forth, 

And  passed  the  great  wall  of  the  court,  and  there 
Stood  near  to  Pallas,  who  bespake  him  thus  :  — 

“  Son  of  Laertes,  nobly  born  and  wise, 

Speak  with  thy  son  ;  conceal  from  him  the  truth  205 
No  longer,  that,  prepared  to  make  an  end 
Of  that  vile  suitor-crew,  ye  may  go  up 
Into  the  royal  town.  Nor  long  will  I 
Be  absent ;  I  am  ready  for  the  assault.” 

Thus  spake  the  goddess.  Putting  forth  a  wand  210 
Of  gold,  she  touched  the  chief.  Beneath  that  touch 
His  breast  was  covered  with  a  new-blanched  robe 
And  tunic.  To  his  frame  it  gave  new  strength ; 
His  swarthy  color  came  again,  his  cheeks 
Grew  full,  and  the  beard  darkened  on  his  chin.  215 
This  done,  she  disappeared.  Ulysses  came 
Into  the  lodge  again  ;  his  son  beheld 
Amazed  and  overawed,  and  turned  his  eyes 
Away,  as  if  in  presence  of  a  god, 

And  thus  bespake  the  chief  with  winged  words  :  —  220 
“  O  stranger,  thou  art  other  than  thou  wert ; 

Thy  garb  is  not  the  same,  nor  are  thy  looks ; 

Thou  surely  art  some  deity  of  those 
Whose  habitation  is  the  ample  heaven. 

Be  gracious  to  us,  let  us  bring  to  thee 


225 


76 


The  Odyssey. 


Such  sacrifices  as  thou  wilt  accept 
And  gifts  of  graven  gold  3  be  merciful.” 

Ulysses,  the  great  sufferer,  thus  replied : 

“  I  am  no  god  3  how  am  I  like  the  gods? 

I  am  thy  father,  he  for  whom  thy  sighs  230 

Are  breathed,  and  sorrows  borne,  and  wrongs  en¬ 
dured.” 

He  spake  and  kissed  his  son,  and  from  his  lids 
Tears  fell  to  earth,  that  long  had  been  restrained. 
And  then  Telemachus,  who  could  not  think 
The  stranger  was  his  father,  answered  thus  :  —  23s 

“Nay,  thou  art  not  my  father,  thou  art  not 
Ulysses  3  rather  hath  some  deity 
Sought  to  deceive  me,  that  my  grief  may  be 
The  sharper  3  for  no  mortal  man  would  do 
What  has  been  done,  unless  some  god  should  come 
To  aid  him,  and  to  make  him  young  or  old  24* 
At  pleasure  3  for  thou  wert  a  moment  since 
An  aged  man,  and  sordidly  arrayed, 

And  now  art  like  the  gods  of  the  wide  heaven  ” 
Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  thus  :  243 

“It  is  not  well,  Telemachus,  to  greet 
With  boundless  wonder  and  astonishment 
Thy  father  in  this  lodge.  Be  sure  of  this, 

That  no  Ulysses  other  than  myself 

Will  ever  enter  here.  I,  who  am  he,  250 

Have  suffered  greatly  and  have  wandered  far, 

And  in  the  twentieth  year  am  come  again 
To  mine  own  land.  Thou  hast  beheld  to-day 


Book  XVI. 


17 


A  wonder  wrought  by  Pallas,  huntress-queen, 

Who  makes  me  what  she  will,  such  power  is  hers,  — 
Sometimes  to  seem  a  beggar,  and  in  turn  256 

A  young  man  in  a  comely  garb.  The  gods 
Whose  home  is  in  the  heavens  can  easily 
Exalt  a  mortal  man,  or  bring  him  low.” 

He  spake  and  sat  him  down.  Telemachus  260 
Around  his  glorious  father  threw  his  arms, 

And  shed  a  shower  of  tears.  Both  felt  at  heart 
A  passionate  desire  to  weep  ;  they  wept 
Aloud,  —  and  louder  were  their  cries  than  those 
Of  eagles,  or  the  sharp-clawed  vulture  tribe,  2% 
Whose  young  the  hinds  have  stolen,  yet  unfledged. 
Still  flowed  their  tears  abundantly ;  the  sun 
Would  have  gone  down  and  left  them  weeping  still, 
Had  not  Telemachus  at  length  inquired  :  — 

“  Dear  father,  tell  me  in  what  galley  came  270 
The  mariners  who  brought  thee.  Of  what  race 
Claim  they  to  be?  For  certainly,  I  think, 

Thou  cam’st  not  hither  travelling  on  foot.” 

Ulysses,  the  great  sufferer,  thus  replied  : 

“  My  son,  thou  shalt  be  answered  faithfully.  275 
Men  of  a  race  renowned  for  seamanship, 

Phaeacians,  brought  me  hither.  They  convey 
Abroad  the  strangers  coming  to  their  isle, 

And,  bearing  me  in  one  of  their  swift  barks 
Across  the  sea,  they  landed  me  asleep  280 

In  Ithaca.  Rich  were  the  gifts  they  gave,  — 

Much  brass  and  gold,  and  garments  from  the  loom  ; 


78 


The  Odyssey. 


These,  so  the  gods  have  counselled,  lie  concealed 
Among  the  hollow  rocks,  and  I  am  come, 

Obeying  Pallas,  to  consult  with  thee  *85 

How  to  destroy  our  enemies.  Give  now 
The  number  of  the  suitors  ;  let  me  know 
How  many  there  may  be,  and  who  they  are, 

That  with  a  careful  judgment  I  may  weigh 

The  question  whether  we  shall  fall  on  them,  —  290 

We  two  alone,  —  or  must  we  seek  allies.” 

Then  spake  discreet  Telemachus  again  : 

“  O  father,  I  have  heard  of  thy  great  fame 
My  whole  life  long,  —  how  mighty  is  thy  arm, 

How  wise  thy  counsels.  Thou  hast  said  great 
things,  29s 

And  I  am  thunderstruck.  It  cannot  be 
That  two  alone  should  stand  before  a  crowd 
Of  valiant  men.  They  are  not  merely  ten,  — 
These  suitors,  —  nor  twice  ten,  but  many  more  ; 
Hear,  then,  their  number.  From  Dulichium  come  300 
Fifty  and  two,  the  flower  of  all  its  youth, 

With  whom  are  six  attendants.  Samos  sends 
Twice  twelve,  and  twenty  more  Achaian  chiefs 
Come  from  Zacynthus.  Twelve  from  Ithaca ; 

The  noblest  of  the  isle  are  these,  —  with  whom  305 
Medon  the  herald  comes,  —  a  bard  whose  song 
Is  heavenly,  —  and  two  servants  skilled  to  spread 
The  banquet.  Should  we  in  the  palace  halls 
Assault  all  these,  I  fear  lest  the  revenge 
For  all  thy  wrongs  would  end  most  bitterly  310 


Book  XVI . 


And  grievously  for  thee.  Now,  if  thy  thought 
Be  turned  to  some  ally,  bethink  thee  who 
Will  combat  for  us  with  a  willing  heart.” 

Again  Ulysses,  the  great  sufferer,  spake  : 

“  Then  will  I  tell  thee  •-  listen,  and  give  heed. 
Think  whether  Pallas  and  her  father,  Jove, 
Suffice  not  for  us.  Need  we  more  allies  ?  ” 

And  then  discreet  Telemachus  rejoined  : 

“  Assuredly  the  twain  whom  thou  hast  named 
Are  mighty  as  allies ;  for  though  they  sit 
On  high  among  the  clouds,  they  yet  bear  rule 
Both  o’er  mankind  and  o’er  the  living  gods.” 

Once  more  Ulysses,  the  great  sufferer,  spake 
“Not  long  will  they  avoid  the  fierce  affray 
When  in  my  halls  the  strength  of  war  is  tried 
Between  me  and  the  suitor  crew.  Now  go 
With  early  morning  to  thy  home,  and  there 
Mingle  among  the  suitors.  As  for  me, 

The  swineherd  afterward  shall  lead  me  hence 
To  town,  a  wretched  beggar  seemingly, 

And  very  old.  If  there  they  scoff  at  me 
In  mine  own  palace,  let  thy  faithful  heart 
Endure  it,  though  I  suffer ;  though  they  seize 
My  feet,  and  by  them  drag  me  to  the  door, 

Or  strike  at  me  with  weapon-blades,  look  on 
And  bear  it ;  yet  reprove  with  gentle  words 
Their  folly.  They  will  never  heed  reproof; 
The  day  of  their  destruction  is  at  hand. 

And  this  I  tell  thee  further,  and  be  sure 


8o 


The  Odyssey. 


To  keep  my  words  in  memory.  As  soon  340 

As  Pallas,  goddess  of  wise  counsel,  gives 
The  warning,  I  shall  nod  to  thee,  and  thou, 

When  thou  perceivest  it,  remove  at  once 

All  weapons  from  my  halls  to  a  recess 

High  in  an  upper  chamber.  With  soft  words  34s 

Quiet  the  suitors  when  they  ask  thee  why. 

Say,  ‘  I  would  take  them  where  there  comes  no 
smoke, 

Since  now  they  seem  no  longer  like  to  those 
Left  by  Ulysses  when  he  sailed  for  Troy, 

But  soiled  and  tarnished  by  the  breath  of  fire.  330 
This  graver  reason,  also,  Saturn’s  son 
Hath  forced  upon  my  mind,  —  that  ye  by  chance, 
When  full  of  wine  and  quarrelling,  may  wound 

.  '•O 

Each  other,  and  disgrace  the  feast,  and  bring 
Shame  on  your  wooing  ;  for  the  sight  of  steel  35s 
Draws  men  to  bloodshed.’  Say  but  this,  and  leave 
Two  swords  for  us,  two  spears,  two  oxhide  shields, 
Against  the  day  of  combat.  Pallas  then, 

And  Jove  the  All-disposer,  will  unman 
Their  hearts.  Moreover,  let  me  say  to  thee, —  360 
And  keep  my  words  in  memory,  —  if  thou  be 
My  son,  and  of  my  blood,  let  no  man  hear 
That  now  Ulysses  is  within  the  isle ; 

Let  not  Laertes  hear  of  it,  nor  him 

Who  keeps  the  swine,  nor  any  of  the  train  363 

Of  servants,  nor  Penelope  herself, 

While  thou  and  I  alone  search  out  and  prove 


Book  XVI. 


8 1 


The  women  of  the  household,  and  no  less 
The  serving-men,  to  know  who  honors  us, 

And  bears  us  reverence  in  his  heart,  and  who  370 
Contemns  us,  and  dishonors  even  thee.” 

Then  answered  his  illustrious  son  and  said  : 

“  Father,  thou  yet  wilt  know  my  heart,  and  find 
That  of  a  careless  and  too  easy  mood 
I  am  not ;  but  a  search  like  this,  I  think,  37s 

Would  profit  neither  of  us,  and  I  pray 
That  thou  wilt  well  consider  it.  Long  time 
Wouldst  thou  go  wandering  from  place  to  place, 
O’er  thy  estates,  to  prove  the  loyalty 
Of  every  one,  while  in  thy  halls  at  ease  380 

The  suitors  wastefully  consume  thy  wealth. 

Yet  would  I  counsel  that  the  women’s  faith 
Be  proved,  that  the  disloyal  may  be  marked 
And  the  innocent  go  free.  As  for  the  men, 

I  would  not  now  inquire  from  farm  to  farm  ;  383 

That  may  be  done  hereafter,  if  indeed 
Thou  hast  a  sign  from  aegis-bearing  Jove.” 

So  talked  they  with  each  other.  The  good  ship 
Which  brought  Telemachus  and  all  his  friends 
From  Pylos  kept  meantime  upon  its  way  390 

To  Ithaca.  There,  entering  the  deep  port, 

The  seamen  hauled  the  black  ship  up  the  beach ; 
And  then  the  ready  servants  took  away 
The  arms,  and  to  the  house  of  Clytius  bore 
The  costly  gifts.  A  herald  from  the  ship  395 

Went  forward  to  the  palace  of  the  king 

4  * 


F 


82  The  Odyssey. 

With  tidings  to  the  sage  Penelope 

That  now  her  son  was  come  and  in  the  fields, 

And  that  the  ship  at  his  command  had  reached 
The  city,  lest  the  royal  dame  might  feel  400 

Fear  for  his  safety,  and  give  way  to  tears. 

The  herald  and  the  noble  swineherd  met, 

Each  bearing  the  same  message  to  the  queen. 
Entering  the  palace  of  the  godlike  king, 

And  standing  midst  the  maids,  the  herald  said  :  — 
“O  lady,  thy  beloved  son  is  come.”  406 

But  close  beside  the  queen  the  swineherd  stood, 
And  told  her  everything  which  her  dear  son 
Had  bid  him  say ;  and,  having  thus  fulfilled 
His  errand,  left  the  palace  and  its  court.  410 

Then  were  the  suitors  vexed  and  sorrowful, 

And  going  from  the  palace,  and  without 

The  great  wall  that  enclosed  the  court,  sat  down 

Before  the  gates,  and  there  Eurymachus, 

The  son  of  Polybus,  harangued  the  throng  :  —  415 

“Behold,  my  friends,  Telemachus  has  done 
A  marvellous  thing ;  this  voyage,  which  we  thought 
He  could  not  make,  is  made.  Now  let  us  launch 
A  ship,  the  best  that  we  can  find,  and  man 
With  fishermen  the  benches,  sending  it  420 

To  find  our  friends,  and  hasten  their  return.” 

Scarce  had  he  spoken  when  Amphinomus, 

In  turning  where  he  stood,  beheld  a  bark 
Enter  the  port’s  deep  waters,  with  a  crew 
That  furled  the  sails  and  held  the  oars  in  hand.  4=5 


Book  XVI. 


83 


He  laughed,  well  pleased,  and  to  the  suitors  said  : — • 
“  There  needs  no  message  to  be  sent,  for  they 
Are  here  already.  Haply  hath  some  god 
Given  them  the  knowledge,  or  perchance  they  saw, 
But  could  not  overtake,  the  prince’s  ship.”  43° 

He  spake  ;  they  rose  and  hastened  to  the  strand, 
And  quickly  drew  the  galley  up  the  beach. 

The  ready  servants  bore  the  arms  away  ; 

Then  met  they  all  in  council,  suffering  none 
Save  of  the  suitor-train  to  meet  with  them,  —  435 

None,  either  young  or  old.  Eupeithes’  son, 
Antinoiis,  standing  forth,  bespake  them  thus  :  — 

“  How  strangely  do  the  gods  protect  this  man 
From  evil  !  All  day  long  spy  after  spy 
Has  sat  and  watched  upon  the  airy  heights,  440 
And  when  the  sun  was  set  we  never  slept 
On  land,  but  ever  in  our  gallant  ship 
Sailed,  waiting  for  the  holy  morn,  and  lay 
In  constant  ambush  for  Telemachus, 

To  seize  and  to  destroy  him.  Yet  behold,  445 
Some  deity  has  brought  him  home.  And  now 
Frame  we  a  plan  to  cut  off  utterly 
Telemachus,  and  leave  him  no  escape ; 

For  certainly  I  think  that  while  he  lives 

The  end  we  aim  at  cannot  be  attained.  450 

Shrewd  is  the  youth  in  counsel  and  device, 

And  we  no  longer  have,  as  once  we  had, 

The  people’s  favor.  Let  us  quickly  act, 

Ere  he  can  call  a  council  of  the  Greeks. 


84 


The  Odyssey. 


That  he  will  do  without  delay,  and  there  455 

Will  rise  in  wrath  to  tell  them  how  we  planned 
His  death  by  violence,  and  failed ;  and  they 
Who  hear  assuredly  will  not  approve 
The  plotted  mischief.  They  may  drive  us  forth 
With  outrage  from  our  country  to  a  land  460 

Of  strangers.  Let  us  be  the  first  to  strike, 

And  slay  him  in  the  fields  or  on  the  way, 

And,  taking  his  possessions  to  ourselves, 

Share  equally  his  wealth.  Then  may  we  give 
This  palace  to  his  mother,  and  the  man  465 

Whom  she  shall  wed,  whoever  he  may  be. 

Or  if  this  plan  mislike  you,  and  ye  choose 
That  he  should  live,  and  keep  the  fair  estate 
That  was  his  father’s,  let  us  not  go  on 
Thronging  the  palace  to  consume  his  wealth  470 
In  revelry,  but  each  with  liberal  gifts 
Woo  her  from  his  own  dwelling;  and  let  him 
Who  gives  most  generously,  and  whom  fate 
Most  favors,  take  the  lady  as  his  bride.” 

He  spake,  and  all  were  mute.  Amphinomus,  473 
The  illustrious  son  of  royal  Nisus,  rose. 

The  grandson  of  Aretias,  it  was  he 

Who  led  the  suitors  from  Dulichium’s  fields, 

Grassy  and  rich  in  corn.  Penelope 

Liked  best  his  words,  for  generous  was  his  thought, 

And  with  a  generous  purpose  thus  he  spake  :  —  431 

“  Nay,  friends,  not  mine  is  the  advice  to  slay 
Telemachus.  It  is  a  fearful  thing 


Book  XVI. 


35 


To  take  a  royal  life.  Then  let  us  first 

Inquire  the  pleasure  of  the  gods.  For  if  485 

The  oracles  of  mighty  Jupiter 

Approve  it,  I  would  do  the  deed  myself, 

Or  bid  another  do  it ;  but  if  they 
Consent  not,  ’t  is  my  counsel  to  forbear.” 

He  spake,  and  all  approved.  At  once  they  rose, 
And,  entering  the  palace,  sat  them  down  491 

On  shining  thrones.  Meantime  Penelope 
Had  formed  the  purpose  to  appear  before 
The  arrogant  suitors,  for  the  news  was  brought 
Into  her  chamber  of  the  plot  to  slay  495 

Her  son  ;  the  herald  Medon  overheard, 

And  told  her  all.  So  to  the  hall  she  went 
With  her  attendant  maids.  The  glorious  dame 
Drew  near  the  suitor-train,  and  took  her  stand 
Beside  a  column  of  the  stately  pile,  5°° 

And  with  a  delicate  veil  before  her  cheeks 
Began  to  speak,  and  chid  Antinoiis  thus  :  — 

“  Antinoiis,  mischief-plotter,  insolent ! 

The  rumor  is  that  thou  excellest  all 
Of  thy  own  age  among  the  Ithacans  5^5 

In  understanding  and  in  speech.  Yet  such 
Thou  never  wert.  Ferocious  as  thou  art, 

Why  seek  the  death  of  my  Telemachus, 

And  treat  with  scorn  the  suppliants  of  whose  prayer 
Jove  is  the  witness  ?  An  unholy  thing  s*° 

It  is  when  men  against  their  fellow-men 
Plot  mischief.  Dost  thou  then  forget  that  once 


86 


The  Odyssey. 


Thy  father  came  to  us  a  fugitive, 

In  terror  of  the  people,  who  were  wroth 
Because  he  joined  the  Taphian  pirate-race,  51s 
And  plundered  the  Thesprotians,  our  allies. 

The  people  would  have  slain  him,  and  have  torn 
His  heart  out,  and  have  pillaged  his  large  wealth  ; 
Ulysses  checked  their  rage,  and  held  them  back, 
Fierce  as  they  were.  Now  thou  dost  waste  his 
goods  520 

Most  shamefully,  and  woo  his  wife,  and  slay 
His  son,  and  multiply  my  woes.  Cease  now, 

I  charge  thee,  and  persuade  the  rest  to  cease.” 

Eurymachus,  the  son  of  Polybus, 

Replied  :  “  O  daughter  of  Icarius,  sage  525 

Penelope,  take  heart ;  let  no  such  thought 
Possess  thy  mind.  There  is  no  man  on  earth, 

Nor  will  there  be,  who  shall  lay  violent  hands 
Upon  Telemachus,  thy  son,  while  I 
Am  living,  and  yet  keep  the  gift  of  sight.  530 

I  say,  and  will  perform  it,  — his  black  blood 
Shall  flow  and  bathe  my  spear.  Ulysses  oft, 
Spoiler  of  realms,  would  take  me  on  his  knee, 

And  put  the  roasted  meats  into  my  hands, 

And  give  me  ruddy  wine.  I  therefore  hold  535 
Telemachus  of  all  mankind  most  dear, 

And  I  will  bid  him  have  no  fear  of  death 
From  any  of  the  suitors.  If  it  come, 

Sent  by  the  gods,  he  cannot  then  escape.” 

So  spake  he  to  appease  her,  while  he  planned,  540 


Book  XVI. 


8; 


The  murder  of  her  son.  The  queen  went  up 
To  the  fair  upper  chambers,  and  there  wept 
Ulysses,  her  dear  spouse,  till  o’er  her  lids 
The  blue-eyed  Pallas  poured  the  balm  of  sleep. 

At  evening  to  Ulysses  and  his  son  545 

The  noble  swineherd  went,  while  busily 
They  made  the  supper  ready,  having  slain 
A  porker  one  year  old.  Then  instantly 
Stood  Pallas  by  Ulysses,  and  put  forth 
Her  wand  and  touched  him,  making  him  again  sso 
Old,  and  clad  sordidly  in  beggar’s  weeds, 

Lest  that  the  swineherd,  knowing  at  a  look 
His  master,  might  not  keep  the  knowledge  locked 
In  his  own  breast,  but,  hastening  forth,  betray 
The  secret  to  the  chaste  Penelope.  sss 

Then  to  the  swineherd  said  Telemachus  : 

‘‘  Noble  Eumaeus,  welcome  ;  what  reports 

Are  in  the  town?  Have  those  large-minded  men, 

The  suitors,  left  their  ambush  and  returned, 

Or  are  they  waiting  yet  for  me  to  pass  ?  ”  560 

And  thus,  Eumaeus,  thou  didst  make  reply : 

“  Of  that,  indeed,  I  never  thought  to  ask, 

In  going  through  the  town.  My  only  care 

Was  to  return,  as  soon  as  I  had  given 

My  message,  with  such  speed  as  I  could  make.  s«s 

I  met  a  messenger,  a  herald  sent 

By  thy  companions,  who  was  first  to  tell 

Thy  mother  of  thy  safe  return.  Yet  this 

I  know,  for  I  beheld  it  with  my  eyes. 


88 


The  Odyssey. 


When  outside  of  the  city,  where  the  hill  $7° 

Of  Hermes  stands,  I  saw  a  gallant  bark 
Entering  the  port,  and  carrying  many  men. 

Heavy  it  was  with  shields  and  two-edged  spears  ; 

’T  was  they,  I  thought,  and  yet  I  cannot  tell.” 

He  spake  ;  Telemachus  the  valiant  looked  575 
Upon  his  father  with  a  smile  unmarked 
By  good  Eumaeus.  When  their  task  was  done, 

And  the  board  spread,  they  feasted.  No  one 
lacked 

His  portion  of  the  common  meal.  Their  thirst 
And  hunger  satisfied,  they  laid  them  down  5a* 

To  rest,  and  so  received  the  gift  of  sleep. 


BOOK  XVII. 

NOW  when  the  rosy-fingered  Morn  looked 
forth,  — 

The  daughter  of  the  Dawn,  —  Telemachus, 

The  dear  son  of  the  great  Ulysses,  bound 
The  shapely  sandals  underneath  his  feet, 

And  took  the  massive  spear  that  fitted  well  5 

His  grasp,  and,  as  he  stood  in  act  to  go 
Up  to  the  town,  bespake  the  swineherd  thus  :  — 

“  Father,  I  hasten  to  the  town,  that  there 
My  mother  may  behold  me  ;  for  I  think 
She  will  not  cease  to  grieve,  and  fear,  and  weep, 


10 


Book  XVII. 


89 


Till  her  eyes  rest  on  me.  I  leave  with  thee 
The  charge  of  leading  our  unfortunate  guest 
Into  the  city,  there  to  beg  his  bread. 

Whoever  will  may  give  him  food  and  drink. 

All  men  I  cannot  feed,  and  I  have  cares  is 

Enough  already.  If  he  chafe  at  this, 

The  worse  for  him.  I  like  to  speak  my  mind.” 

And  thus  Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  spake  : 

“  Nor  do  I  wish,  my  friend,  to  loiter  here. 

Better  it  is  for  one  like  me  to  beg  20 

In  town  than  in  the  country.  In  the  town, 
Whoever  chooses  will  bestow  his  dole ; 

But  here,  if  I  remain  about  the  stalls, 

I  am  no  longer  of  an  age  to  do 

All  that  a  master  may  require.  Go  thou  ;  sS 

This  man,  at  thy  command,  will  lead  me  hence, 

As  soon  as  I  have  warmed  me  at  the  fire, 

And  the  air  grows  milder.  This  keen  morning-cold 
May  end  me,  and  the  way,  ye  say,  is  long.” 

He  ended  ;  from  the  lodge  Telemachus  3° 

Passed  quickly,  meditating  to  destroy 
The  suitors.  Coming  to  his  stately  home, 

He  leaned  his  spear  against  a  column’s  shaft, 

And,  crossing  the  stone  threshold,  entered  in. 

First  Eurycleia,  who  had  been  his  nurse,  3s 

Beheld  him,  as  she  spread  the  beautiful  thrones 
With  skins,  and  ran  to  him  with  weeping  eyes ; 

And  round  him  other  handmaids  of  the  house 
Of  resolute  Ulysses  thronged.  They  gave 


90 


The  Odyssey. 


Fond  welcome,  kissing  him  upon  the  brow 
And  shoulders.  Issuing  from  her  chamber  next 
The  chaste  Penelope,  like  Dian’s  self 
In  beauty,  or  like  golden  Venus,  came, 

And,  weeping,  threw  her  arms  about  her  son, 

And  kissed  him  on  his  forehead  and  on  both 
His  glorious  eyes,  and  said,  amidst  her  tears  :  — 

“  Light  of  my  eyes  !  O  my  Telemachus  ! 

Art  thou,  then,  come  ?  I  never  thought  again 
To  see  thee,  when  I  heard  thou  hadst  embarked 
For  Pylos,  —  secretly,  and  knowing  me 
Unwilling,  —  in  the  hope  to  gather  there 
Some  tidings  of  thy  father.  Tell  me  now 
All  that  has  happened,  all  that  thou  hast  seen.” 

And  thus  discreet  Telemachus  replied  : 

“Nay,  mother,  waken  not  my  griefs  again, 

Nor  move  my  heart  to  rage.  I  have  just  now 
Escaped  a  cruel  death.  But  go  and  bathe, 

And  put  fresh  garments  on,  and  when  thou  com’st 
Into  thy  chamber  with  thy  maidens,  make 
A  vow  to  all  the  gods  that  thou  wilt  bum 
A  sacrifice  of  chosen  hecatombs 
When  Jupiter  shall  have  avenged  our  wrongs. 
Now  must  I  hasten  to  the  market-place 
In  quest  of  one  who  came  with  me  a  guest 
From  Pylos.  Him,  with  all  my  faithful  crew, 

I  sent  before  me  to  this  port,  and  bade 
Piraeus  lead  him  to  his  own  abode, 

There  to  be  lodged  and  honored  till  I  came.” 


Book  XVII ; 


91 


He  spake,  nor  flew  his  words  unheeded  by. 

The  princess  bathed,  and  put  fresh  garments  on,  7° 
And  vowed  to  all  the  gods  a  sacrifice 
Of  chosen  hecatombs  when  Jupiter 
Should  punish  the  wrong-doers.  While  she  prayed, 
Telemachus  went  forth,  his  spear  in  hand. 

Two  fleet  dogs  followed  him.  Minerva  shed  75 
A  godlike  beauty  o’er  his  form  and  face, 

And  all  the  people  wondered  as  he  came. 

The  suitors  thronged  around  him  with  smooth  words, 
Yet  plotting  mischief  in  their  hearts.  He  turned 
From  their  assembly  hastily,  and  took  so 

His  place  where  Mentor  sat  with  Antiphus, 

And  Halitherses,  —  all  his  father’s  friends 
And  his  from  the  beginning.  While  they  asked 
Of  all  that  he  had  seen,  Piraeus  came, 

The  famous  spearman,  bringing  through  the  town  85 
The  stranger  with  him  to  the  market-place. 

Nor  long  Telemachus  delayed,  but  came 
To  meet  his  guest,  and  then  Piraeus  said  :  — 

“Telemachus,  despatch  to  where  I  dwell 
Thy  serving-women  ;  I  would  send  to  thee,  90 

At  once,  the  gifts  which  Menelaus  gave.” 

“  And  then  discreet  Telemachus  replied  : 

“  We  know  not  yet,  Piraeus,  what  may  be 

The  event ;  and  if  the  suitors  privily 

Should  slay  me  in  the  palace,  and  divide  95 

The  inheritance  among  them,  I  prefer 

That  thou,  instead  of  them,  shouldst  have  the  gifts  ; 


92 


The  Odyssey. 


But  should  they  meet  the  fate  which  I  have  planned, 
And  be  cut  off,  then  shalt  thou  gladly  bring 
The  treasures,  which  I  gladly  will  receive  y  100 
So  spake  the  prince,  and  to  the  palace  led 
The  unhappy  man,  his  guest.  When  now  they 
reached 

The  stately  pile,  they  both  laid  down  their  cloaks 
Upon  the  benches,  and  betook  themselves 
To  the  well-polished  baths.  The  attendant  maids  105 
There  ministered  and  smoothed  their  limbs  with  oil, 
And  each  received  a  tunic  at  their  hands, 

And  fleecy  mantle.  Then  they  left  the  baths 
And  took  their  seats.  A  damsel  came,  and  poured 
Water  from  a  fair  ewer  wrought  of  gold  no 

Into  a  silver  basin  for  their  hands, 

And  spread  a  polished  table  near  their  seats ; 

And  there  the  matron  of  the  household  placed 
Bread,  and  the  many  dishes  which  her  stores 
Supplied.  The  queen  was  seated  opposite,  ns 
Beside  a  column  of  the  pile,  and  twirled 
A  slender  spindle,  while  the  son  and  guest 
Put  forth  their  hands  and  shared  the  meal  prepared. 
And  when  the  calls  of  hunger  and  of  thirst 
Had  ceased,  thus  spake  the  sage  Penelope  :  —  no 
“Telemachus,  when  I  again  go  up 
Into  my  chamber,  I  shall  lay  me  down 
Upon  the  couch  which,  since  Ulysses  sailed 
For  Troy  with  Atreus’  sons,  has  been  to  me 
A  couch  of  mourning,  sprinkled  with  my  tears.  12s 


Book  XVII. 


93 


And  now  thou  hast  not  chosen  to  reveal, 

Ere  yet  the  haughty  suitors  throng  again 
Into  these  halls,  what  in  thy  voyage  thou 
Hast  haply  heard  concerning  his  return.” 

And  thus  discreet  Telemachus  replied  : 

“  Then,  mother,  will  I  truly  tell  thee  all. 

We  went  to  Pylos,  and  saw  Nestor  there, 

The  shepherd  of  the  people.  Kindly  he 
Received  me  in  his  stately  home,  as  one 
Might  welcome  back  a  wandering  son  returned 
From  foreign  lands.  Such  welcome  I  received 
Both  from  the  king  and  his  illustrious  sons. 

But  he  had  heard,  he  said,  from  living  man, 

No  tidings  of  the  much-enduring  chief 
Ulysses,  whether  he  were  yet  alive 
Or  dead.  He  therefore  sent  me  with  his  steeds 
And  chariot  to  the  court  of  Atreus’  son, 

The  warlike  Menelaus.  There  I  saw 
The  Argive  Helen,  for  whose  sake  the  Greeks 
And  Trojans,  by  the  appointment  of  the  gods, 
Suffered  so  much.  The  valiant  king  inquired 
What  wish  of  mine  had  brought  me  to  the  town 
Of  hallowed  Lacedaemon.  I  replied, 

And  truly  told  him  all,  and  everything 
In  order.  Then  he  answered  me,  and  said  :  — 

“  ‘  So  then  !  these  men,  unwarlike  as  they  are, 
Aspire  to  occupy  a  brave  man’s  bed, 

As  when  a  hart  hath  left  two  suckling  fawns, 

Just  born,  asleep  in  a  strong  lion’s  lair, 


130 

135 

140 

145 

iso 


94 


The  Odyssey. 


And  roams  for  pasturage  the  mountain  slopes  155 
And  grassy  lawns,  the  lion  suddenly 
Comes  back,  and  makes  a  cruel  end  of  both, 

So  will  Ulysses  bring  a  sudden  doom 
Upon  the  suitors.  Would  to  Father  Jove, 

And  Pallas,  and  Apollo,  that  the  chief,  160 

Returning  mighty,  as  he  was  when  once 
In  well-built  Lesbos,  at  a  wrestling-match, 

He  rose  to  strive  with  Philomelides, 

And  threw  him  heavily,  and  all  the  Greeks 
Rejoiced,  —  would  he  might  come  as  then  he  was  ! 
Short-lived  would  then  the  suitors  be,  and  taste  166 
A  bitter  marriage-feast.  But  now,  to  come 
To  what  thou  hast  inquired,  I  will  not  seek 
To  turn  from  it,  and  talk  of  other  things, 

Nor  will  deceive.  Of  all  that  I  was  told  17® 

By  the  Ancient  of  the  Deep,  whose  words  are  true, 
I  will  not  hide  a  single  word  from  thee. 

He  saw  thy  father  in  an  isle,  he  said, 

A  prey  to  wasting  sorrows,  and  detained, 

Unwilling,  in  the  palace  of  the  nymph  175 

Calypso.  To  the  country  of  his  birth 
He  cannot  come ;  no  ships  are  there  with  oars 
And  crew  to  bear  him  o’er  the  great  wide  sea.’ 

“  Thus  Menelaus,  mighty  with  the  spear, 

The  son  of  Atreus,  said.  And  having  now  180 
Fulfilled  my  errand,  I  returned.  The  gods 
Gave  favoring  winds,  and  sent  me  swiftly  home.” 

He  ended,  and  the  queen  was  deeply  moved. 


Book  XVII. 


95 


Then  Theoclymenus,  the  godlike,  said  :  — 

“  O  gracious  consort  of  Laertes’  son,  iss 

King  Menelaus  knew  not  all.  Hear  now 
What  I  shall  say,  —  for  I  will  prophesy, 

And  truly,  nor  will  keep  back  aught  from  thee. 

Let  Jupiter,  the  mightiest  of  the  gods, 

And  this  thy  hospitable  board,  and  this  19c 

The  hearth  of  great  Ulysses,  where  I  find 
A  refuge,  be  my  witnesses,  that  now 
Ulysses  is  in  his  own  land  again, 

And  sits  or  walks  observant  of  the  deeds 
Of  wrong,  and  planning  vengeance,  yet  to  fall  195 
On  all  the  suitors  ;  such  the  augury 
Which  I  beheld  when  in  the  gallant  bark 
I  sat  and  told  it  to  Telemachus.” 

And  thus  the  sage  Penelope  replied : 

“  O  stranger  !  may  thy  saying  be  fulfilled  !  200 

Then  shalt  thou  have  such  thank's  and  such  rewards 
That  all  who  greet  thee  shall  rejoice  with  thee.” 

So  talked  they  with  each  other.  In  the  space 
Before  the  palace  of  Ulysses  stood 
'The  suitors,  pleased  with  hurling  quoits  and  spears 
On  the  smooth  pavement,  where  their  insolence  205 
So  oft  was  seen.  But  when  the  supper-hour 
Was  near,  and  from  the  fields  the  cattle  came, 
Driven  by  the  herdsmen,  Medon  —  he  whom  most 
They  liked  of  all  the  heralds,  and  who  sat  21° 

Among  them  at  the  feast  —  bespake  them  thus  :  — 
“  jutlis !  since  ye  now  have  had  your  pastime 
here, 


96 


The  Odyssey. 


Come  in,  and  help  prepare  the  evening  meal ; 

At  the  du,e  hour  a  banquet  is  not  ill.” 

He  spake ;  the  suitors  hearkened  and  obeyed,  21s 
And  rose,  and  came  into  the  halls,  and  laid 
Their  cloaks  upon  the  benches  and  the  thrones, 
And  slaughtered  well-fed  sheep  and  fading  goats, 
And  made  a  victim  of  a  pampered  brawn, 

And  a  stalled  ox,  preparing  for  the  feast.  220 

Meantime  Ulysses  and  that  noble  hind 
The  swineherd  hastened  to  begin  their  walk 
To  town,  and  thus  the  master  swineherd  spake  :  — 

“Since,  stranger,  ’t  is  thy  wish  to  pass  to-day 
Into  the  city,  as  my  master  bade,  —  225 

Though  I  by  far  prefer  that  thou  remain 
A  guardian  of  the  stalls,  yet  much  I  fear 
My  master,  and  am  sure  that  he  would  chide, 

And  harsh  the  upbraidings  of  a  master  are,  — 

Let  us  depart ;  the  day  is  now  far  spent,  230 

And  chill  will  be  the  air  of  eventide.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  thus : 

“  Enough  ;  I  know  ;  thy  words  are  heard  by  one 
Who  understands  them.  Let  us  then  depart. 

Lead  thou  the  way  ;  and  if  thou  hast  a  staff,  235 
Cut  from  the  wood  to  lean  on,  give  it  me, 

Since,  as  thou  say’st,  we  have  a  slippery  road.” 

He  spake,  and  o’er  his  shoulders  flung  a  scrip, 
Old,  cracked,  and  hanging  by  a  twisted  thong. 
Eumasus  gave  the  staff  he  asked,  and  both  240 

Went  forth ;  the  dogs  and  herdsmen  stayed  to  guard 


Book  X  VII. 


97 


The  lodge.  The  swineherd  led  his  master  on 
Townward,  a  squalid  beggar  to  the  sight, 

And  aged,  leaning  on  a  staff,  and  wrapped 
In  sordid  rags.  There  by  the  rugged  way,  245 
As  they  drew  near  the  town,  they  passed  a  fount 
Wrought  by  the  hand  of  man,  and  pouring  forth 
Its  pleasant  streams,  from  which  the  citizens 
Drew  water.  Ithacus  and  Neritus 
Founded  it  with  Polyctor,  and  a  grove  250 

Of  alders  feeding  on  the  moistened  earth 
Grew  round  it  on  all  sides.  The  ice  cold  rill 
Gushed  from  a  lofty  rock,  upon  whose  brow 
An  altar  stood,  at  which  the  passers-by 
Worshipped,  and  laid  their  offerings  for  the  Nymphs. 
There  did  Melanthius,  son  of  Dolius,  meet  256 
The  twain,  as  he  was  driving  to  the  town 
The  finest  goats  of  all  the  flocks,  to  make 
A  banquet  for  the  suitors ;  with  him  went 
Two  shepherds,  following  the  flock.  As  soon  260 
As  he  beheld  Eumaeus  and  his  guest, 

He  railed  at  them  with  rude  and  violent  words, 
That  made  the  anger  of  Ulysses  rise. 

“  See  that  vile  fellow  lead  the  vile  about ! 

Thus  ever  doth  some  god  join  like  with  like.  265 
Thou  worthless  swineherd  !  whither  wouldst  thou 
take 

This  hungry,  haunting  beggar-man,  this  pest 
Of  feasts,  who  at  the  posts  of  many  a  door 
Against  them  rubs  his  shoulders,  asking  crusts, 

5 


VOL.  II. 


G 


98 


The  Odyssey. 


Tripods  or  caldrons  never.  Shouldst  thou  leave  270 
The  wretch  to  me,  to  watch  my  stalls,  and  sweep 
The  folds,  and  bring  fresh  branches  to  the  kids, 

He  might  by  drinking  whey  get  stouter  thighs. 

But  he  has  learned  no  good,  and  will  refuse 

To  work ;  he  better  likes  to  stroll  about  275 

With  that  insatiable  stomach,  asking  alms 

To  fill  it.  Let  me  tell  thee  what  is  sure 

To  happen  to  him,  should  he  ever  come 

Into  the  palace  of  the  glorious  chief 

Ulysses.  Many  a  footstool  will  be  flung  280 

Around  him  by  the  hands  of  those  who  sit 

As  guests,  and  they  will  tear  the  fellow’s  sides.” 

He  spake,  and  in  his  folly  thrust  his  heel 
Against  the  hero’s  thigh.  The  blow  moved  not 
Ulysses  from  his  path,  nor  swerved  he  aught,  285 
But  meditated  whether  with  a  blow 
Of  his  good  staff  to  take  the  fellow’s  life, 

Or  lift  him  in  the  air  and  dash  his  head 
Against  the  ground.  Yet  he  endured  the  affront 
And  checked  his  wrath.  The  swineherd  spake,  and 
chid  290 

The  offender,  and  thus  prayed  with  lifted  hands  : — 

“  Nymphs  of  the  fountain,  born  to  Jupiter  ! 

If  e’er  in  sacrifice  Ulysses  burned 

To  you  the  thighs  of  lambs  and  goats,  o’erlaid 

With  fat,  be  pleased  to  grant  the  prayer  I  make,  255 

That,  guided  by  some  deity,  the  chief 

May  yet  return.  Then  thy  rude  boasts  would  cease, 


Book  XVII. 


99 


Melanthius,  which  thou  utterest  in  thy  way 
From  place  to  place  while  wandering  through  the 
town. 

Unfaithful  shepherds  make  a  perishing  flock.”  300 
Melanthius,  keeper  of  the  goats,  rejoined  : 

“  ’T  is  wonderful  how  flippant  is  the  cur, 

And  shrewd  !  But  I  shall  carry  him  on  board 
A  good  black  ship,  far  off  from  Ithaca, 

And  there  will  sell  him  for  a  goodly  price.  303 

Would  that  Apollo  of  the  silver  bow 
Might  in  the  palace  slay  Telemachus 
This  very  hour,  or  that  the  suitors  might, 

As  certamly  as  that  the  day  which  brings 
Ulysses  to  his  home  will  never  dawn  !  ”  310 

He  spake,  and  left  them  there.  They  followed  on 
Slowly.  Melanthius  hastened,  and  was  soon 
At  the  king’s  palace  gate,  and,  entering,  took 
A  seat  right  opposite  Eurymachus, 

Whose  favorite  he  was.  The  attendants  there  315 

Brought  meats,  the  matron  of  the  household  bread, 

And  both  were  set  before  them.  Meantime  stopped 

Ulysses  with  the  noble  swineherd  near 

The  palace,  for  around  them  in  the  air 

Came  the  sweet  murmurs  of  a  lyre.  Just  then  3?0 

Phemius,  the  minstrel,  had  begun  his  song, 

Ulysses  took  the  swineherd’s  hand,  and  said  :  — 

“  Eumaeus,  this  must  be  the  noble  pile 
In  which  Ulysses  dwelt,  for  easily 
’T  is  known  among  the  others  that  are  near.  325 


IOO 


The  Odyssey. 


Rooms  over  rooms  are  here ;  around  its  court 
Are  walls  and  battlements,  and  folding-doors 
Shut  fast  the  entrance  ;  no  man  may  contemn 
Its  strength.  And  I  perceive  that  many  guests 
Banquet  within  ;  the  smoke  of  fat  goes  up,  33° 

And  the  sweet  lyre  is  heard  ;  the  gods  have  given 
Its  music  to  accompany  the  feast.” 

And  then,  Eumceus,  thou  didst  make  reply: 

“  Thou  speakest  rightly,  and  in  other  things 
Thou  art  not  slow  of  thought.  Now  let  us  think 
What  we  shall  do.  First  enter,  if  thou  wilt,  336 
The  sumptuous  rooms,  while  I  remain  without ; 

Or,  if  it  please  thee,  I  will  enter  first, 

While  thou  remainest ;  yet  delay  not  long, 

Lest  some  one,  seeing  thee,  should  deal  a  blow,  340 
Or  drive  thee  hence.  I  pray  thee,  think  of  this.” 

Ulysses,  the  great  sufferer,  answered  thus  : 

“  Enough  ;  I  know ;  thy  words  are  heard  by  one 
Who  understands  them.  Go  before  me,  then, 

And  leave  me  here.  I  am  not  quite  unused  345 
To  blows  and  stripes,  and  patient  is  my  mood, 

For  greatly  have  I  suffered,  both  at  sea 

And  in  the  wars  ;  and  I  submit  to  bear 

This  also.  But  the  stomach’s  eagerness 

Is  desperate,  and  is  not  to  be  withstood,  350 

And  many  are  the  mischiefs  which  it  brings 

Upon  the  race  of  men  ;  it  fits  out  fleets 

That  cross  the  barren  deep  arrayed  for  war, 

And  carry  death  and  woe  to  hostile  realms.” 


Book  XVII. 


IOI 


So  talked  the  twain.  A  dog  was  lying  near,  335 
And  lifted  up  his  head  and  pricked  his  ears. 

’T  was  Argus,  which  the  much-enduring  man 
Ulysses  long  before  had  reared,  but  left 
Untried,  when  for  the  hallowed  town  of  Troy 
He  sailed.  The  young  men  oft  had  led  him  forth  3^ 
In  eager  chase  of  wild  goats,  stags,  and  hares ; 

But  now,  his  master  far  away,  he  lay 
Neglected,  just  before  the  stable  doors, 

Amid  the  droppings  of  the  mules  and  beeves, 
Heaped  high  till  carried  to  the  spacious  fields  365 
Of  which  Ulysses  was  the  lord.  There  lay 
Argus,  devoured  with  vermin.  As  he  saw 
Ulysses  drawing  near,  he  wagged  his  tail 
And  dropped  his  ears,  but  found  that  he  could  come 
No  nearer  to  his  master.  Seeing  this,  370 

Ulysses  wiped  away  a  tear  unmarked 
By  the  good  swineherd,  whom  he  questioned  thus : — 

“  Eumaeus,  this  I  marvel  at,  —  this  dog, 

That  lies  upon  the  dunghill,  beautiful 

In  form,  but  whether  in  the  chase  as  fleet  37s 

As  he  is  fairly  shaped  I  cannot  tell. 

Worthless,  perchance,  as  house-dogs  often  are, 
Whose  masters  keep  them  for  the  sake  of  show.” 

And  thus,  Eumaeus,  thou  didst  make  reply  : 

“  The  dog  belongs  to  one  who  died  afar.  330 

Had  he  the  power  of  limb  which  once  he  had 
For  feats  of  hunting  when  Ulysses  sailed 
For  Troy  and  left  him,  thou  wouldst  be  amazed 


102 


The  Odyssey . 


Both  at  his  swiftness  and  his  strength.  No  beast 
In  the  thick  forest  depths  which  once  he  saw,  3S5 
Or  even  tracked  by  footprints,  could  escape. 

And  now  he  is  a  sufferer,  since  his  lord 
Has  perished  far  from  his  own  land.  No  more 
The  careless  women  heed  the  creature’s  wants ; 

For,  when  the  master  is  no  longer  near,  390 

The  servants  cease  from  their  appointed  tasks, 

And  on  the  day  that  one  becomes  a  slave 
The  Thunderer,  Jove,  takes  half  his  worth  away.” 

He  spake,  and,  entering  that  fair  dwelling-place, 
Passed  through  to  where  the  illustrious  suitors  sat,  39s 
While  over  Argus  the  black  night  of  death 
Came  suddenly  as  soon  as  he  had  seen 
Ulysses,  absent  now  for  twenty  years. 

Telemachus,  the  godlike,  was  the  first 
To  mark  the  swineherd  coming  through  the  hall,  400 
And,  nodding,  called  to  him.  The  swineherd  looked 
About  him,  and  beheld  a  seat  on  which 
The  carver  of  the  feast  was  wont  to  sit, 

Distributing  the  meats.  He  bore  it  thence 
And  placed  it  opposite  Telemachus,  405 

And  at  his  table.  Then  he  sat  him  down, 

And  thither  came  the  herald,  bringing  him 
A  portion  of  the  feast,  and  gave  him  bread 
From  the  full  canister.  Soon  after  him 
Ulysses  entered,  seemingly  an  old  410 

And  wretched  beggar,  propped  upon  a  staff, 

And  wrapped  in  sordid  weeds.  He  sat  him  down 


Book  XVII. 


103 


On  the  ashen  threshold,  just  within  the  doors, 

And  leaned  against  a  shaft  of  cypress-wood, 

Which  some  artificer  had  skilfully  41s 

Wrought  by  a  line,  and  smoothed.  Telemachus 
Called  to  the  swineherd,  bade  him  come,  and  took 
A  loaf  that  lay  in  the  fair  canister, 

And  all  the  flesh  which  his  two  hands  could  grasp. 

“  Bear  this  to  yonder  stranger  ;  bid  him  go  420 
And  ask  a  dole  from  every  suitor  here. 

No  beggar  should  be  bashful  in  his  need.” 

He  spake,  the  hind  obeyed,  and,  drawing  near 
Ulysses,  said  to  him  in  winged  words  :  — 

“  These  from  Telemachus,  who  bids  thee  ask  425 
A  dole  from  every  suitor,  for  he  says 
No  beggar  should  be  bashful  in  his  need.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  thus  : 

“May  Jove,  the  sovereign,  make  Telemachus 
A  happy  man  among  the  sons  of  men,  430 

And  grant  him  all  his  heart  desires  in  life!” 

He  spake,  and  took  the  gift  in  both  his  hands, 
And  laid  it  down  upon  his  tattered  scrip 
Close  to  his  feet.  Then,  while  the  poet  sang, 

He  ate,  and,  just  as  he  had  supped,  the  bard  43s 
Closed  his  divine  recital.  Then  ensued 
Great  clamor  in  the  hall,  but  Pallas  came 
And  moved  Ulysses  to  arise,  and  ask 
From  every  suitor  there  a  dole  of  bread, 

That  he  might  know  the  better  from  the  worse,  440 
Though  none  were  to  be  spared.  From  right  to  left 


104 


The  Odyssey. 


He  took  his  way,  and  asked  of  every  man, 

With  outstretched  hand,  as  if  he  had  been  long 
A  beggar.  And  they  pitied  him,  and  gave, 

And  looked  at  him  with  wonder,  and  inquired  445 
One  of  another  who  he  was,  and  whence. 

Then  spake  Melanthius,  keeper  of  the  goats  :  — 

“  Give  ear,  ye  suitors  of  the  illustrious  queen. 

As  to  this  stranger,  I  have  seen  him  once. 

The  swineherd  brought  him  ;  but  I  know  him  not,  45° 
And  of  what  race  he  is  I  cannot  tell.” 

He  spake  ;  Antinoiis  chid  the  swineherd  thus  : 

“  Why  hast  thou  brought  him,  too  well  known  thy¬ 
self? 

Have  we  not  vagabonds  enough  ?  enough 
Of  sturdy  beggars,  pests  of  every  feast.  4ss 

Or  is  it  a  light  matter  that  they  throng 
Hither  to  waste  the  substance  of  thy  lord, 

And  therefore  thou  art  with  this  fellow  here?” 

And  thus,  Eumaeus,  thou  didst  make  reply  : 

“  Antinoiis,  high  as  is  thy  station,  thou  460 

Hast  spoken  ill.  What  man  goes  ever  forth 
To  bid  a  stranger  to  his  house,  unless 
The  stranger  be  of  those  whose  office  is 
To  serve  the  people,  be  he  seer,  or  leech, 

Or  architect,  or  poet  heaven-inspired,  465 

Whose  song  is  gladly  heard  ?  All  these  are  called 
To  feasts  wherever  men  are  found  ;  but  none 
Call  in  the  poor,  to  live  upon  their  means. 
Antinoiis,  thou,  of  all  the  suitor-train, 


Book  XVII. 


105 


Dost  ever  with  the  greatest  harshness  treat  470 
The  servants  of  Ulysses,  chiefly  me. 

I  heed  it  not  while  sage  Penelope 
Dwells  in  the  palace  with  her  godlike  son.” 

Then  interposed  discreet  Telemachus  : 

“Nay,  have  no  strife  of  words  with  him,  I  pray.  475 
Antinoiis  takes  delight  in  bitter  words, 

And  rails,  and  stirs  up  railing  in  the  rest.” 

And  then  he  turned,  and  thus  with  winged  words 
Bespake  Antinoiis  :  “Truly  thou  dost  care 
For  me  as  might  a  father  for  a  son,  480 

Bidding  me  drive  a  stranger  from  my  door 
With  violent  words,  —  which  God  forbid.  Take  now 
Somewhat  and  give  to  him.  I  grudge  it  not, 

Nay,  I  advise  it.  Fear  not  to  offend 

My  mother,  or  displease  a  single  one  435 

Of  all  the  household  of  the  godlike  chief, 

Ulysses.  But  thou  hast  not  thought  of  this. 

It  suits  thee  best  to  feast  and  never  give.” 

Antinoiis  thus  rejoined:  “O  utterer 
Of  big  and  braggart  words  !  Telemachus,  490 

If  all  the  other  suitors  would  bestow 
As  much  as  I  will,  he  would  not  be  seen 
Within  these  halls  for  three  months  yet  to  come.” 

So  speaking,  he  brought  forward  to  the  sight, 
From  underneath  the  board,  a  stool,  on  which  495 
Rested  his  dainty  feet.  The  others  all 
Gave  somewhat  to  Ulysses,  till  his  scrip 
Was  filled  with  meat  and  bread.  Then  as  he  went 
5  * 


io  6 


The  Odyssey. 


Back  to  the  threshold,  there  to  feast  on  what 
The  Greeks  had  given  him  in  his  rounds,  he  stopped 
Beside  Antinoiis,  and  bespake  him  thus  s°i 

“  Give  somewhat  also,  friend.  Thou  dost  not 
seem 

One  of  the  humbler  rank  among  the  Greeks, 

But  of  the  highest.  Kingly  is  thy  look  ; 

It  therefore  will  become  thee  to  bestow  s°s 

More  freely  than  the  rest,  and  I  will  sound 

Thy  praise  through  all  the  earth.  Mine  too  was  once 

A  happy  lot,  for  I  inhabited 

A  palace  filled  with  goods,  and  often  gave 

To  wanderers,  whosoever  they  might  be  510 

That  sought  me  out,  and  in  whatever  need. 

And  I  had  many  servants,  and  large  store 
Of  everything  by  which  men  live  at  ease 
And  are  accounted  rich.  Saturnian  Jove  — 

Such  was  his  pleasure — brought  me  low;  for,  moved 
By  him,  I  joined  me  to  a  wandering  band  5^ 

Of  pirates,  and  to  my.  perdition  sailed 
Upon  a  distant  voyage  to  the  coast 
Of  Egypt.  In  the  river  of  that  land 
I  stationed  my  good  ships,  and  bade  my  men  .5=0 
Remain  with  them  and  watch  them  well.  I  placed 
Sentries  upon  the  heights.  Yet  confident 
In  their  own  strength,  and  rashly  giving  way 
To  greed,  my  comrades  ravaged  the  fair  fields 
Of  the  Egyptians,  slew  them,  and  bore  off  s=s 

Their  wives  and  little  ones.  The  rumor  reached 


Book  XVII. 


io  7 


The  city  soon  ;  the  people  heard  the  alarm 
And  came  together.  With  the  dawn  of  day 
All  the  great  plain  was  thronged  with  horse  and  foot, 
And  gleamed  with  brass,  while  Jove,  the  Thunderer, 
sent  530 

A  deadly  fear  into  our  ranks,  where  none 
Dared  face  the  foe.  On  every  side  was  death. 

The  Egyptians  hewed  down  many  with  the  sword, 

And  some  they  led  away  alive  to  toil 

For  them  in  slavery.  Me  my  captors  gave  535 

Into  a  stranger’s  hands,  upon  his  way 

To  Cyprus,  where  he  reigned,  a  mighty  king, 

Demetor,  son  of  Jasus.  Thence  at  last 

I  came  through  many  hardships  to  this  isle.” 

Antinoiis  lifted  up  his  voice,  and  said :  540 

“  What  god  hath  sent  this  nuisance  to  disturb 
The  banquet?  Take  thyself  to  the  mid-hall, 

Far  from  thy  table,  else  expect  to  see 

An  Egypt  and  a  Cyprus  of  a  sort 

That  thou  wilt  little  like.  Thou  art  a  bold  543 

And  shameless  beggar.  Thou  dost  take  thy  round 

And  ask  from  each,  and  foolishly  they  give, 

And  spare  not  nor  consider ;  well  supplied 
Is  each,  and  freely  gives  what  is  not  his.” 

Then  sage  Ulysses  said  as  he  withdrew  :  55° 

“  ’T  is  strange  ;  thy  mind  agrees  not  with  thy  form. 
Thou  wouldst  not  give  a  suppliant  even  salt 
In  thine  own  house,  — thou  who,  while  sitting  here, 
Fed  at  another’s  table,  canst  not  bear 


io8 


The  Odyssey. 


To  give  me  bread  from  thy  well-loaded  board.”  sss 
He  spake.  Alcinoiis  grew  more  angry  still, 

And  frowned  and  answered  him  with  winged 
words  :  — 

“  Dealer  in  saucy  words  !  I  hardly  think 
That  thou  wilt  leave  this  palace  unchastised.” 

He  spake,  and  raised  the  footstool  in  his  hand,  5^ 
And  smote  Ulysses  on  the  lower  part 
Of  the  right  shoulder.  Like  a  rock  he  stood, 
Unmoved  beneath  the  blow  Antinoiis  gave, 

But  shook  his  head  in  silence  as  he  thought 
Of  vengeance.  Then,  returning,  he  sat  down  565 
Upon  the  threshold,  where  he  laid  his  scrip 
Well  filled,  and  thus  bespake  the  suitor-train  :  — 

“  Hear  me,  ye  suitors  of  the  illustrious  queen. 
Grief  or  resentment  no  man  feels  for  blows 
Received  by  him  while  fighting  for  his  own,  —  570 

His  beeves  or  white-woolled  sheep.  But  this  man 
here, 

Antinoiis,  dealt  that  blow  on  me  because 
I  have  an  empty  stomach  ;  hunger  brings 
Great  mischiefs  upon  men.  If  there  be  gods 
Or  furies  who  avenge  the  poor,  may  death  575 

O’ertake  Antinoiis  ere  his  marriage-day  !  ” 

He  ended.  Then  again  Eupeithes’  son, 
Antinoiis,  spake  :  “  Eat,  stranger,  quietly ; 

Sit  still,  or  get  thee  hence  ;  our  young  men  else 
Who  hear  thy  words  will  seize  thee  by  the  feet  580 
Or  hands,  and  drag  thee  forth  and  flay  thee  there.” 


Book  XVII. 


109 


He  spake,  and  greatly  were  the  rest  incensed, 
And  one  of  those  proud  youths  took  up  the  word  :  — 
“  Antinoiis,  it  was  ill  of  thee  to  smite 
That  hapless  wanderer.  Madman!  what  if  he  sss 
Came  down  from  heaven  and  were  a  god  !  The  gods 
Put  on  the  form  of  strangers  from  afar, 

And  walk  our  towns  in  many  different  shapes, 

To  mark  the  good  and  evil  deeds  of  men.” 

Thus  spake  the  suitors,  but  he  heeded  not  590 
Their  words.  Telemachus,  who  saw  the  blow, 

Felt  his  heart  swell  with  anger  and  with  grief, 

Yet  from  his  eyelids  fell  no  tear ;  he  shook 
His  head  in  silence,  pondering  to  repay 
The  wrong.  Meantime  the  sage  Penelope  595 

Heard  of  the  stranger  smitten  in  her  halls, 

And  thus  bespake  the  maidens  of  her  train  :  — 

“  Would  that  Apollo,  mighty  with  the  bow, 

Might  smite  thee  also  !  ”  Then  Eurynome, 

The  matron  of  the  household,  said  in  turn  :  600 

“  O,  were  our  prayers  but  heard,  not  one  of  these 
Should  look  upon  the  golden  morn  again  !  ” 

Then  spake  again  the  sage  Penelope  : 

“  Mother,  they  all  are  hateful ;  every  one 

Plots  mischief,  but  Antinoiis  most  of  all ;  605 

And  he  is  like  black  death,  to  be  abhorred. 

A  friendless  stranger  passes  through  these  halls, 
Compelled  by  need,  and  asks  an  alms  of  each, 

And  all  the  others  give,  and  fill  his  scrip ; 

Antinoiis  flings  a  footstool,  and  the  blow  oo 


I  10 


The  Odyssey. 


Bruises  the  shoulder  of  the  suppliant  man.” 

So  talked  they  with  each  other  where  they  sat 
In  the  queen’s  chamber,  ’mid  the  attendant  train 
Of  women,  while  meantime  Ulysses  took 
The  evening  meal.  The  queen  then  bade  to  call  615 
The  noble  swineherd,  and  bespake  him  thus  :  — 

“  My  worthy  friend  Eumaeus,  go  and  bring 
The  stranger  hither.  I  would  speak  with  him, 

And  ask  if  anywhere  he  saw  or  heard 

Aught  of  Ulysses  ;  for  he  seems  like  one  620 

Whose  wanderings  have  been  in  many  lands.” 

And  thus,  Eumseus,  thou  didst  make  reply  : 

“  Would  that  these  Greeks,  O  queen,  would  hold 
their  peace, 

Then  might  this  stranger  in  thy  hearing  speak 
Words  full  of  consolation.  For  three  nights  625 
I  had  him  with  me,  for  three  days  I  made 
My  lodge  his  home,  —  for  at  the  very  first 
He  came  to  me,  escaping  from  his  ship,  — 

Nor  when  he  left  me  had  he  told  of  all 
That  he  had  suffered.  As  a  hearer  looks  630 

Upon  a  minstrel  whom  the  gods  have  taught 
To  sing  the  poems  that  delight  all  hearts, 

And,  listening,  longs  to  listen  without  end  ; 

So,  as  the  stranger  sat  beneath  my  roof, 

He  held  me  charmed.  He  was  the  ancestral  friend, 
He  said,  of  thy  Ulysses,  and  his  home  636 

Was  Crete,  where  dwells  the  stock  of  Minos  yet. 
From  Crete  he  came,  and  much  had  suffered  since, 


Book  XVII. 


hi 


Driven  on  from  place  to  place.  And  he  had  heard 
Some  tidings  of  Ulysses  yet  alive —  e* 

So  he  affirmed  —  in  a  rich  region  near 
The  realm  of  the  Thesprotians,  and  prepared 
To  bring  much  riches  to  his  native  isle.” 

Then  spake  the  sage  Penelope  again  : 

“  Go,  call  him  hither,  that  he  may  relate  64i 

His  story  in  my  presence.  Let  these  men, 

As  it  may  please  them,  sitting  at  our  gates 
Or  in  our  halls,  amuse  themselves,  for  light 
Are  they  of  heart.  Unwasted  in  their  homes 
Lie  their  possessions,  and  their  bread  and  wine  650 
Are  only  for  their  servants,  while  themselves 
Frequent  our  palace,  day  by  day,  and  slay 
Our  beeves  and  sheep  and  fatling  goats,  and  feast, 
And  drink  abundantly  the  dark  red  wine, 

And  all  with  lavish  waste.  No  man  is  here,  655 
Such  as  Ulysses  was,  to  drive  away 
This  pest  from  our  abode.  Should  he  return 
To  his  own  land,  he  and  his  son  would  take 
Swift  vengeance  on  the  men  who  do  him  wrong.” 

She  ended.  Suddenly  Telemachus  660 

Sneezed  loudly,  so  that  all  the  palace  rang ; 

And,  laughing  as  she  heard,  Penelope 
Bespake  Eumaeus  thus  with  winged  words  :  — 

“  Go,  call  the  stranger.  Dost  thou  not  perceive 
My  son  has  sneezed  as  to  confirm  my  words.  665 
Not  unfulfilled  will  now  remain  the  doom 
That  waits  the  suitors  ;  none  will  now  escape 


1 12 


The  Odyssey. 


Death  and  the  Fates.  This  further  let  me  say, 

And  thou  remember  it ;  if  what  he  tells 

Be  true,  I  will  bestow  on  him  a  change  e7o 

Of  fair  attire,  a  tunic  and  a  cloak.” 

She  spake,  the  swineherd  went,  and,  drawing  near 
Ulysses,  said  to  him  in  winged  words  :  — 

“  Stranger  and  father,  sage  Penelope, 

The  mother  of  the  prince,  hath  sent  for  thee.  e7S 
Though  sorrowing,  she  is  minded  to  inquire 
What  of  her  husband  thou  canst  haply  say  ; 

And  should  she  find  that  all  thy  words  are  true, 

She  will  bestow  a  tunic  and  a  cloak, 

Garments  which  much  thou  needest.  For  thy  food, 
What  will  appease  thy  hunger  thou  wilt  find  esi 
Among  the  people ;  ask,  and  each  will  give.” 

Ulysses,  much-enduring  man,  replied  : 

“  Eumaeus,  faithfully  will  I  declare 

All  that  I  know  to  sage  Penelope,  ess 

The  daughter  of  Icarius.  Well  I  knew 

Her  husband,  and  with  like  calamities 

We  both  have  suffered.  But  I  greatly  dread 

This  reckless  suitor-crew,  whose  riotous  acts 

And  violence  reach  to  the  iron  heavens.  e9o 

Even  now,  when  that  man  dealt  me,  as  I  passed, 

A  painful  blow,  though  I  had  done  no  harm, 

None  interposed,  not  even  Telemachus, 

In  my  defence.  Now,  therefore,  ask,  I  pray, 
Penelope  that  she  will  deign  to  wait  695 

Till  sunset  in  her  rooms,  though  strong  her  wish 


Book  XVI L 


113 

To  hear  my  history.  Of  her  husband  then, 

And  his  return,  she  may  inquire,  while  I 
Sit  by  the  blazing  hearth ;  for  scant  have  been 
My  garments,  as  thou  knowest,  since  the  day  700 
When  first  I  came,  a  suppliant,  to  thy  door.” 

He  spake  ;  the  swineherd  went,  and  as  he  crossed 
The  threshold  of  Penelope  she  said  :  — 

“  Thou  bringst  him  not,  Eumaeus  ?  What  may  be 
The  wanderer’s  scruple  ?  Fear  of  some  one  here  ?  705 
Or  in  a  palace  is  he  filled  with  awe  ? 

To  be  a  bashful  beggar  is  most  hard.” 

And  thus,  Eumaeus,  thou  didst  answer  her : 

“  Rightly  he  speaks,  and  just  as  one  would  think 
Who  shuns  the  encounter  of  disorderly  men.  71° 
He  prays  that  thou  wilt  wait  till  set  of  sun  ; 

And  better  were  it  for  thyself,  O  queen, 

To  speak  with  him  and  hear  his  words  alone.” 

Then  spake  discreet  Penelope  again : 

“  Whoe’er  may  be  the  stranger,  not  unwise  71s 

He  seems  ;  for  nowhere  among  men  are  done 
Such  deeds  of  wrong  and  outrage  as  by  these.” 

She  spake,  and  the  good  swineherd,  having  told 
The  lady  all,  went  forth  among  the  crowd 
Of  suitors,  drawing  near  Telemachus,  720 

And  bowed  his  head  beside  him  that  none  else 
Might  hear,  and  said  to  him  in  winged  words  :  — 

“  I  go,  my  friend,  to  tend  the  swine  and  guard 
What  there  thou  hast,  thy  sustenance  and  mine. 

The  charge  of  what  is  here  belongs  to  thee.  725 

H 


The  Odyssey. 


1 14 

Be  thy  first  care  to  save  thyself,  ancl  watch 
To  see  that  mischief  overtake  thee  not,  — 

For  many  are  the  Achaians  plotting  it, 

Whom  Jove  destroy  ere  we  become  their  prey !  ” 
Then  spake  discreet  Telemachus  in  turn  :  73° 

“  So  be  it,  father,  and,  when  thou  hast  supped, 
Depart,  but  with  the  morning  come,  and  bring 
Choice  victims  for  the  sacrifice.  The  care 
Of  all  things  here  is  with  the  gods  and  me.” 

He  spake  ;  the  swineherd  sat  him  down  again  735 
Upon  his  polished  seat,  and  satisfied 
His  appetite  and  thirst  with  food  and  wine. 

Then  he  departed  to  his  herd,  and  left 
The  palace  and  the  court  before  it  thronged 
With  revellers,  who  gave  the  hour  to  song,  740 

And  joined  the  dance;  for  evening  now  was  come. 


BOOK  XVIII. 

THERE  came  a  common  beggar,  wont  to  ask 
Alms  through  the  town  of  Ithaca,  well  known 
For  greediness  of  stomach,  gluttonous 

« 

And  a  wine-bibber,  but  of  little  strength 

And  courage,  though  he  seemed  of  powerful  mould.  5 

Arnseus  was  the  name  which  at  his  birth 

His  mother  gave  him,  but  the  young  men  called 

The  fellow  Irus,  for  it  was  his  wont 


Book  X  VI I L 


US 


To  go  on  errands,  as  a  messenger, 

When  he  was  ordered.  Coming  now,  he  thought  m 
To  drive  Ulysses  out  of  his  own  house, 

And  railed  at  him,  and  said  in  winged  words  :  — 

“  Hence  with  thee !  leave  the  porch,  old  man,  at 
once, 

Lest  thou  be  taken  by  the  foot  and  dragged 
Away  from  it.  Dost  thou  not  see  how  all  is 

Around  us  nod,  to  bid  me  drag  thee  out  ? 

I  am  ashamed  to  do  it.  Rise  and  go, 

Else  haply  we  may  have  a  strife  of  blows.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  frowned  and  said : 

“  Wretch  !  there  is  nothing  that  I  do  or  say  20 
To  harm  thee  aught.  I  do  not  envy  thee 
What  others  give  thee,  though  the  dole  be  large ; 
And  ample  is  this  threshold  for  us  both. 

Nor  shouldst  thou  envy  others,  for  thou  seemst 
A  straggler  like  myself.  The  gods  bestow  25 

Wealth  where  they  list.  But  do  not  challenge  me 
To  blows,  lest,  aged  as  I  am,  thou  rouse 
My  anger,  and  I  make  thy  breast  and  lips 
Hideous  with  blood.  To-morrow  then  will  be 
A  quiet  day  for  me,  since  thou,  I  trust,  30 

In  all  the  time  to  come,  wilt  never  more 
Enter  the  palace  of  Laertes’  son.” 

The  beggar  Irus  angrily  rejoined  : 

“Ye  gods  !  this  glutton  prattles  volubly, 

Like  an  old  woman  at  the  chimney-side.  35 

Yet  could  I  do  him  mischief,  smiting  him 


The  Odyssey. 


1 16 

On  both  his  sides,  and  dashing  from  his  cheeks 
The  teeth  to  earth,  as  men  are  wont  to  deal 
With  swine  that  eat  the  wheat.  Now  gird  thyself, 
Let  these  men  see  us  fighting.  How  canst  thou  40 
Think  to  contend  with  one  so  young  as  I  ?  ” 

Thus  fiercely  did  they  wrangle  as  they  stood 
Beside  the  polished  threshold  and  before 
The  lofty  gates.  The  stout  Antinoiis  heard, 

And,  laughing  heartily,  bespake  the  rest : —  45 

“  Here,  friends,  is  what  we  never  yet  have  had. 
Behold  the  pleasant  pastime  which  the  gods 
Provide  for  us.  These  men  —  the  stranger  here, 
And  Irus  —  quarrel,  and  will  come  to  blows. 

Let  us  stand  by  and  bring  the  combat  on.”  5° 

He  spake.  All  rose  with  laughter  and  came  round 
The  ragged  beggars,  while  Eupeithes’  son, 
Antinoiis,  in  these  words  harangued  the  rest :  — 

“  Ye  noble  suitors,  hear  me.  At  the  fire 
Already  lie  the  paunches  of  two  goats,  55 

Preparing  for  our  evening  meal,  and  both 
Are  filled  with  fat  and  blood.  Whoever  shows 
Himself  the  better  man  in  this  affray, 

And  conquers,  he  shall  take  the  one  of  these 
He  chooses,  and  shall  ever  afterward  & 

Feast  at  our  table,  and  no  man  but  he 

s 

Shall  ever  come  among  us  asking  alms.” 

He  ended.  All  approved  his  words,  and  thus 
Ulysses,  craftily  dissembling,  said  :  — 

“  O  friends,  it  is  not  well  that  one  so  old  55 


Book  XVIII ; 


II 7 

\ 

As  I,  and  broken  by  calamity, 

Should  fight  a  younger  man  ;  but  hunger  bids, 

And  I  may  be  o’ercome  by  blows.  But  now 
Swear  all  a  solemn  oath,  that  none  of  you, 

To  favor  Irus,  wickedly  will  raise  7° 

His  mighty  hand  to  smite  me,  and  so  aid 
My  adversary  to  my  overthrow.” 

He  spake ;  the  suitor-train,  assenting,  took 
The  oath,  and  when  they  all  were  duly  sworn, 

The  high-born  prince  Telemachus  began  :  —  7s 
“  O  stranger,  if  thy  manly  heart  be  moved 
To  drive  him  hence,  fear  no  one  else  of  all 
The  Achaians.  Whosoever  strikes  at  thee 
Has  many  to  contend  with.  I  am  here 
The  host.  Antinoiis  and  Eurymachus,  80 

Wise  men  and  kings,  agree  with  me  in  this.” 

He  spake,  and  all  approved.  Ulysses  drew 
And  girt  his  tatters  round  his  waist  and  showed 
His  large  and  shapely  thighs.  Unclothed  appeared 
His  full  broad  shoulders,  and  his  manly  breast  s5 
And  sinewy  arms.  Minerva  stood  by  him, 

And  with  a  mighty  breadth  of  limb  endued 
The  shepherd  of  the  people.  Earnestly 
The  suitors  gazed,  and  wondered  at  the  sight, 

And  each  one,  turning  to  his  neighbor,  said  :  —  90 

“Irus,  poor  Irus,  on  himself  has  drawn 
An  evil  fate,  for  what  a  sinewy  thigh 
His  adversary  shows  beneath  his  rags  !  ” 

So  talked  they,  while  the  heart  of  Irus  sank 


1 1 3 


The  Odyssey. 


Within  him  ;  yet  the  attendants  girding  him  95 
Forcibly  drew  him  forward,  sore  afraid, 

The  muscles  quivering  over  every  limb. 

And  then  Antinoiis  spake,  and  chid  him  thus  :  — 

“  Now,  boaster,  thou  deservest  not  to  live, 

Nay,  nor  to  have  been  born,  if  thou  dost  fear  100 
And  quake  at  meeting  one  so  old  as  he, 

So  broken  with  the  hardships  he  has  borne. 

And  now  I  tell  thee  what  will  yet  be  done, 

Should  he  approve  himself  the  better  man, 

And  conquer.  I  will  have  thee  sent  on  board  105 
A  galley  to  Epirus,  and  its  king, 

The  foe  of  all  men  living,  Echetus, 

And  he  will  pare  away  thy  nose  and  ears 
With  the  sharp  steel,  and,  wrenching  out  the  parts 
Of  shame,  will  cast  them  to  be  torn  by  dogs.”  no 
He  spake,  and  Irus  shook  through  all  his  frame 
With  greater  terror,  yet  they  dragged  him  on 
Into  the  midst.  Both  champions  lifted  up 
Their  arms.  The  godlike,  much-enduring  man, 
Ulysses,  pondered  whether  so  to  strike  ns 

His  adversary  that  the  breath  of  life 
Might  leave  him  as  he  fell,  or  only  smite 
To  stretch  him  on  the  earth.  As  thus  he  mused, 
The  lighter  blow  seemed  wisest,  lest  the  Greeks 
Should  know  who  dealt  it.  When  the  hands  of  both 
Were  thus  uplifted,  Irus  gave  a  blow  121 

On  his  right  shoulder,  while  Ulysses  smote 
Irus  beneath  the  ear,  and  broke  the  bone 


Book  XVIII. 


1 19 

Within,  and  brought  the  red  blood  from  his  mouth. 
He  fell  amid  the  dust,  and  shrieked  and  gnashed  125 
His  teeth,  and  beat  with  jerking  feet  the  ground. 
The  suitor-train  threw  up  their  hands  and  laughed 
Till  breathless,  while  Ulysses  seized  his  feet 
And  drew  him  o’er  the  threshold  to  the  court 
And  the  porch  doors,  and  there,  beside  the  wall,  13° 
Set  him  to  lean  against  it,  gave  a  staff 
Into  his  hands,  and  said  in  winged  words  :  — 

“  Sit  there,  and  scare  away  the  dogs  and  swine, 
But  think  not,  wretched  creature,  to  bear  rule 
Over  the  stranger  and  the  beggar  tribe,  133 

Or  worse  than  this  may  happen  to  thee  yet.” 

He  spake,  and  o’er  his  shoulders  threw  the  scrip 
That  yawned  with  chinks,  and  by  a  twisted  thong 
Was  fastened ;  then  he  turned  to  take  his  seat 
Upon  the  threshold,  while  the  suitor-train  14° 

Went  back  into  the  palace  with  gay  shouts 
Of  laughter,  and  bespake  him  blandly  thus  :  — 

“  Stranger,  may  Jove  and  all  the  other  gods 
Grant  thee  what  thou  desirest,  and  whate’er 
Is  pleasant  to  thee  !  Thou  hast  put  an  end  145 
To  this  importunate  beggar’s  rounds  among 
The  people.  We  shall  send  him  off  at  once 
Into  Epirus,  and  to  Echetus, 

Its  king,  the  foe  of  every  living  man.” 

So  talked  the  suitors,  and  the  omen  made  150 
Ulysses  glad.  Meantime  Antinoiis  placed 
The  mighty  paunch  before  the  victor,  filled 


120 


The  Odyssey. 


With  blood  and  fat,  and  from  the  canister 
Amphinomus  brought  forth  two  loaves,  and  raised 
A  golden  cup  and  drank  to  him,  and  said  : —  155 

“  Hail,  guest  and  father !  happy  be  thy  days 
Henceforth,  though  dark  with  many  sorrows  now  !  ” 
Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  thus  : 
“Amphinomus,  thou  seemest  most  discreet, 

And  such  thy  father  is,  of  whom  I  hear  160 

A  worshipful  report,  the  good  and  rich 
Dulichian  Nisus.  Thou,  as  I  am  told, 

Art  son  to  him,  and  thou  art  seemingly 

A  man  of  pertinent  speech.  I  therefore  say 

To  thee,  and  bid  thee  hear  and  mark  me  well,  16s 

No  being  whom  earth  nourishes  to  breathe 

Her  air  and  move  upon  her  face  is  more 

The  sport  of  circumstance  than  man.  For  while 

The  gods  give  health,  and  he  is  strong  of  limb, 

He  thinks  no  evil  in  the  coming  days  170 

Will  overtake  him.  When  the  blessed  gods 
Visit  him  with  afflictions,  these  he  bears 
Impatiently  and  with  a  fretful  mind. 

Such  is  the  mood  of  man,  while  vet  he  dwells 
On  earth ;  it  changes  as  the  All-Father  gives  17s 
The  sunshine  or  withholds  it.  I  was  once 
Deemed  fortunate  among  my  fellow-men, 

And  many  things  that  were  unjust  I  did ; 

For  in  my  strength  and  in  my  father’s  power, 

And  valor  of  my  brothers,  I  had  put  i&> 

My  trust.  Let  no  man,  therefore,  dare  to  be 


Book  XVIII. 


12  I 


Unjust  in  aught,  but  tranquilly  enjoy 
Whatever  good  the  gods  vouchsafe  to  give. 

Yet  are  these  suitors  guilty  of  foul  wrong, 

Wasting  the  substance  and  dishonoring  185 

The  wife  of  one  who  will  not,  as  I  deem, 

Remain  long  distant  from  his  friends  and  home, 

But  is  already  near.  O,  may  some  god 
Remove  thee  from  this  danger  to  thy  home ! 

Nor  mayst  thou  meet  him  when  he  shall  return  190 
To  his  own  land.  For  when  he  comes  once  more 
Beneath  this  roof,  and  finds  the  suitors  here, 

Not  without  bloodshed  will  their  parting  be.” 

He  spake,  and,  pouring  out  a  part,  he  drank 
The  wine,  and  gave  the  goblet  to  the  prince,  19s 
Who  crossed  the  hall,  and  sorrowfully  shook 
His  head,  for  now  already  did  his  heart 
Forebode  the  coming  evil.  Not  by  this 
Did  he  escape  his  death.  Minerva  laid 
A  snare  for  him,  that  he  might  fall  beneath,  200 
The  strong  arm  of  Telemachus.  He  went 
And  took  the  seat  from  which  he  lately  rose. 

Then  blue-eyed  Pallas  moved  Penelope, 

Sage  daughter  of  Icarius,  to  appear 
Before  the  suitors,  that  their  base  intent  20s 

Might  be  more  fully  seen,  and  she  might  win 
More  honor  from  her  husband  and  her  son. 
Wherefore  she  forced  a  laugh,  and  thus  began  :  — 

“  Eurynome,  I  would  at  length  appear, 

Though  not  till  now,  before  the  suitor-train,  210 

6 


VOL  II. 


122 


The  Odyssey. 


Detested  as  they  are.  I  there  would  speak 
A  word  of  timely  warning  to  my  son, 

And  give  him  counsel  not  to  trust  himself 
Too  much  among  the  suitors,  who  are  fair 
In  speech,  but  mean  him  foully  in  their  hearts.”  2:5 

Eurynome,  the  household  matron,  said  : 

“  Assuredly,  my  child,  thou  speakest  well. 

Go  now,  and  warn  thy  son,  and  keep  back  naught. 
First  bathe,  and,  ere  thou  go,  anoint  thy  cheeks, 
Nor  show  them  stained  with  tears.  It  is  not  well  220 
To  sorrow  without  end.  For  now  thy  son 
Is  grown,  and  thou  beholdest  him  at  length 
What  thou  didst  pray  the  gods,  when  he  was  born, 
That  he  might  yet  become,  a  bearded  man.” 

And  then  the  sage  Penelope  rejoined  :  225 

“  Though  anxious  for  my  sake,  persuade  me  not, 
Eurynome,  to  bathe,  nor  to  anoint 
My  cheeks  with  oil.  The  gods  inhabiting 
Olympus  took  away  their  comeliness 
When  in  his  roomy  ships  my  husband  sailed ;  230 

But  bid  Antinoe  come,  and  call  with  her 
Hippodameia,  that  they  both  may  stand 
Beside  me  in  the  hall.  I  will  not  go 
Alone  among  the  men,  for  very  shame.” 

She  spake,  the  aged  dame  went  forth  to  bear  235 
The  message,  and  to  bring  the  women  back. 

While  blue-eyed  Pallas  had  yet  other  cares, 

She  brought  a  balmy  sleep,  and  shed  it  o’er 
The  daughter  of  Icarius,  as  she  lay 


Book  XVIII. 


123 


Reclined  upon  her  couch,  her  limbs  relaxed  24c 
In  rest.  The  glorious  goddess  gave  a  dower 
Of  heavenly  graces,  that  the  Achaian  chiefs 
Might  look  on  her  amazed.  She  lighted  up 
Her  fair  face  with  a  beauty  all  divine, 

Such  as  the  queenly  Cytherea  wears  24s 

When  in  the  mazes  of  the  dance  she  joins 
The  Graces.  Then  she  made  her  to  the  sight 
Of  loftier  stature  and  of  statelier  size, 

And  fairer  than  the  ivory  newly  carved. 

This  having  done,  the  gracious  power  withdrew,  2;° 
While  from  the  palace  came  the  white-armed  maids, 
And  prattled  as  they  came.  The  balmy  sleep 
Forsook  their  mistress  at  the  sound.  She  passed 
Her  hands  across  her  cheeks,  and  thus  she  spake : — 
“  ’T  was  a  sweet  sleep  that,  in  my  wretchedness,  25S 
Wrapped  me  just  now.  Would  that,  this  very  hour, 
The  chaste  Diana  by  so  soft  a  death 
Might  end  me,  that  my  days  might  be  no  more 
Consumed  in  sorrow  for  a  husband  lost, 

Of  peerless  worth,  the  noblest  of  the  Greeks.”  26a 
She  spake,  and  from  the  royal  bower  went  down, 
Yet  not  alone;  two  maidens  went  with  her. 

And  when  that  most  august  of  womankind 
Drew  near  the  suitors,  at  the' door  she  stopped 
Of  that  magnificent  hall,  and  o’er  her  cheeks  *55 
Let  fall  the  lustrous  veil,  while  on  each  side 
A  modest  maiden  stood.  The  suitors  all 
Felt  their  knees  tremble,  and  were  sick  with  love, 


124 


The  Odyssey. 


And  all  desired  her.  Then  the  queen  bespake 
Telemachus,  her  well-beloved  son  :  —  270 

“  Telemachus,  thy  judgment  is  not  firm, 

Nor  dost  thou  think  aright.  While  yet  a  boy 
Thy  thought  was  wiser.  Now  that  thou  art  grown, 
And  on  the  verge  of  manhood,  so  that  one 
Who  comes  from  far  and  sees  thy  noble  part  275 
And  stature  well  may  say  thou  art  the  son 
Of  a  most  fortunate  father,  yet  to  think 
And  judge  discreetly  thou  art  not  as  then, 

For  what  a  deed  is  this  which  has  been  done 
Even  here  !  Thou  hast  allowed  a  stranger  guest  2S0 
To  be  assaulted  rudely.  How  is  this  ? 

If  one  who  sits  a  guest  beneath  our  roof 
Be  outraged  thus,  be  sure  it  brings  to  thee 
Great  shame  and  rank  dishonor  among  men.” 

To  this  discreet  Telemachus  replied  :  285 

“  Mother,  I  cannot  take  it  ill  that  thou 
Shouldst  be  offended.  But  of  many  things 
I  have  a  clear  discernment,  and  can  weigh 
The  good  and  bad.  I  was  till  now  a  child, 

Yet  even  now  I  cannot  always  see  250 

The  wiser  course.  These  men  bewilder  me, 

As,  sitting  side  by  side,  they  lay  their  plots 
Against  me,  and  I  have  no  helper  here. 

When  Irus  and  the  stranger  fought,  the  strife 
Had  no  such  issue  as  the  suitors  wished.  295 

The  stranger  conquered.  Would  to  Father  Jove, 
To  Pallas  and  Apollo,  that  the  crew 


Book  XVIII. 


125 

Of  suitors  here  might  sit  with  nodding  heads 
Struck  down  upon  the  spot,  within  these  halls 
Or  in  the  courts,  and  all  with  powerless  limbs,  30c 
As  Irus  sits  beside  the  gate  and  nods, 

Like  one  o’ercome  with  wine,  nor  can  he  stand 
Upon  his  feet,  nor  go  to  where  he  dwells, 

If  home  he  has,  so  feeble  are  his  limbs.” 

So  talked  the  twain  awhile ;  then  interposed  3* 
Eurymachus,  and  thus  bespake  the  queen  :  — 

“  Sage  daughter  of  Icarius  !  if  all  those 
Who  in  Iasian  Argos  have  their  homes 
Should  once  behold  thee,  a  still  larger  crowd 
Of  suitors  would  to-morrow  come  and  feast  310 
Within  thy  halls,  so  much  dost  thou  excel 
In  mind  and  form  and  face  all  womankind.” 

To  this  the  sage  Penelope  replied  : 

“  Eurymachus,  the  immortals  took  away 

Such  grace  of  form  and  face  as  once  was  mine,  315 

What  time  the  sons  of  Argos  sailed  for  Troy, 

And  with  them  went  Ulysses,  my  espoused. 

Should  he  return,  and  take  again  in  charge 
My  household,  greater  would  my  glory  be, 

And  prized  more  highly.  I  am  . wretched  now,  330 
Such  woes  the  gods  have  heaped  upon  my  head. 
He,  when  he  left  his  native  island,  grasped 
My  right  hand  at  the  wrist,  and  said  to  me  : 
c  Think  not,  dear  wife,  that  all  the  well-armed  Greeks 
Will  come  back  safe  from  Troy.  The  Trojan  men,  3=5 
They  say,  are  brave  in  war,  expert  to  cast 


126 


The  Odyssey. 


The  spear  and  wing  the  arrow,  skilled  to  rein 
The  rapid  steeds  by  which  the  bloody  strife 
Of  battle-fields  is  hurried  to  its  close  ; 

And  therefore  whether  God  will  bring  me  back,  330 
Or  I  shall  fall  in  Troy,  I  cannot  know. 

Take  charge  of  all  things  here.  I  leave  with  thee 
My  father  and  my  mother  in  these  halls. 

Be  kind  to  them  as  now,  nay,  more  than  now, 

Since  I  shall  not  be  here.  When  thou  shalt  see  335 
My  son  a  bearded  man,  take  to  thyself 
A  husband,  whom  thou  wilt,  and  leave  thy  house.’ 
Such  were  his  words,  and  they  have  been  fulfilled. 
The  night  will  come  in  which  I  must  endure 
This  hateful  marriage,  wretched  that  I  am,  34* 

To  whom  the  will  of  Jupiter  forbids 
All  consolation,  and  this  bitter  thought 
Weighs  evermore  upon  my  heart  and  soul. 

The  custom  was  not  thus  in  other  times  ; 

When  suitors  wooed  a  noble  wife,  the  child  34s 
Of  some  rich  house,  contending  for  her  smile, 

They  came  with  beeves  and  fading  sheep  to  feast 
The  damsel’s  friends,  and  gave  munificent  gifts, 

But  wasted  not  the  wealth  that  was  not  theirs.” 

She  spake,  Ulysses  was  rejoiced  to  see  350 

That  thus  she  sought  to  draw  from  each  a  gift, 
With  fair  and  artful  words.  Yet  were  his  thoughts 
Intent  on  other  plans.  Eupeithes’  son, 

Antinoiis,  thus  made  answer  to  the  queen  :  — 

“  Sage  daughter  of  Icarius,  only  deign 


355 


Book  XVIII.  12? 

To  take  the  gifts  which  any  of  the  Greeks 
Will  bring,  —  nor  is  it  gracious  to  reject 
A  present,  — yet  be  sure  we  go  not  hence, 

To  our  estates  nor  elsewhere,  till  thou  make 
A  bridegroom  of  the  best  Achaian  here.”  360 

So  spake  Antinoiis.  All  approved  his  words, 
And  each  sent  forth  a  herald  for  his  gift. 

The  herald  of  Antinoiis  brought  to  him 

A  robe  of  many  colors,  beautiful 

And  ample,  with  twelve  golden  clasps,  which  each  365 

Had  its  well-fitted  eye.  Eurymachus 

Received  a  golden  necklace,  richly  wrought, 

And  set  with  amber  beads,  that  glowed  as  if 
With  sunshine.  To  Eurydamas  there  came 
A  pair  of  ear-rings,  each  a  triple  gem,  370 

Daintily  fashioned  and  of  exquisite  grace. 

Two  servants  bore  them.  From  Pisander’s  house  — 
Son  of  the  Prince  Polyctor — there  was  brought 
A  collar  of  rare  beauty.  Thus  did  each 
Bestow  a  different  yet  becoming  gift.  375 

And  then  that  most  august  of  women  went 
Back  to  the  upper  chambers  with  her  maids, 

Who  bore  the  sumptuous  presents,  while  below 
The  suitors  turned  them  to  the  dance  and  song, 
Amused  till  evening  came.  Its  darkness  stole  380 
Over  their  pastime.  Then  they  brought  and  placed 
Three  hearths  to  light  the  palace,  heaping  them 
With  wood,  well  dried  and  hard  and  newly  cleft. 
With  this  they  mingled  flaming  brands.  The  maids 


128 


The  Odyssey. 


Of  the  great  sufferer,  Ulysses,  fed  385 

The  fire  by  turns.  To  them  the  hero  spake  :  — 
“Ye  maidens  of  a  sovereign  absent  long, 
Withdraw  to  where  your  high-born  mistress  sits ; 
There  turn  the  spindle,  seeking  to  amuse 
Her  lonely  hours  ;  there  comb  with  your  own  hands 
The  fleece,  and  I  will  see  that  these  have  light.  391 
Even  though  they  linger  till  the  Morn  is  here 
In  her  bright  car,  they  cannot  overcome 
My  patience.  I  am  practised  to  endure.” 

So  spake  he,  and  the  maidens,  as  they  heard,  393 
Cast  at  each  other  meaning  looks,  and  laughed, 
And  one  Melantho,  of  the  rosy  cheeks, 

Railed  at  him  impudently.  She  was  born 
To  Dolius,  but  Penelope  had  reared 
The  damsel  as  a  daughter  of  her  own,  400 

And  given  her,  for  her  pleasure,  many  things  ; 

Yet  for  the  sorrows  of  Penelope 

Melantho  little  cared.  Eurymachus 

Had  made  the  girl  his  paramour.  She  spake, 

And  chid  Ulysses  with  unmannerly  words  : —  40s 

“  Outlandish  wretch !  thou  must  be  one  whose 
brain 

Is  turned,  since  thou  wilt  neither  go  to  sleep 
Within  a  smithy,  nor  in  any  place 
Of  public  shelter,  but  wilt  stay  and  prate 
Among  this  company  with  no  restraint  410 

Or  reverence.  Either  wine  has  stolen  away 
Thy  senses,  or  thy  natural  mood,  perchance, 


Book  XVIII. 


129 


Prompts  thee  to  chatter  idly.  Art  thou  proud 
Of  conquering  Irus,  that  poor  vagabond  ? 

Beware  lest  some  one  of  robuster  arms  4x5 

Than  Irus  seize  and  thrust  thee  out  of  doors 
With  a  bruised  head  and  face  begrimed  with  blood.” 

The  sage  Ulysses  frowned  on  her  and  said  : 

“  Impudent  one,  Telemachus  shall  hear 

From  me  the  saucy  words  which  thou  hast  said,  420 

And  he  will  come  and  hew  thee  limb  from  limb.” 

He  spake  ;  the  damsels,  frightened  at  his  words, 
Fled  through  the  hall,  and  shook  in  every  limb 
With  terror,  lest  his  threat  should  be  fulfilled. 

He  meantime  stood  beside  the  kindled  hearths  4=s 
And  fed  the  flames,  and,  looking  on  the  crowd 
Of  suitors,  brooded  in  his  secret  heart 
O’er  plans  that  would  not  fail  to  be  fulfilled. 

But  Pallas  suffered  not  the  suitors  yet 
To  cease  from  railing  speeches,  all  the  more  430 
To  wound  the  spirit  of  Laertes’  son. 

Eurymachus,  the  son  of  Polybus, 

Began  to  scoff  at  him,  and  thus  he  spake 
To  wake  the  ready  laughter  of  the  rest :  — 

“  Hear  me,  ye  suitors  of  the  illustrious  queen.  435 
I  speak  the  thought  that  comes  into  my  mind. 

Led  by  some  god,  no  doubt,  this  man  has  come 
Into  the  palace ;  for  the  light  we  have 
Of  torches  seems  to  issue  from  the  crown 
Of  his  bald  pate,  a  head  without  a  hair.”  440 ' 

So  said  Eurymachus,  and  then  bespake 
6* 


1 


130 


The  Odyssey. 


Ulysses,  the  destroyer  of  walled  towns  :  — 

“  Stranger,  if  I  accept  thee,  wilt  thou  serve 
ITpon  the  distant  parts  of  my  estate  ? 

There  shalt  thou  have  fair  wages,  and  shalt  bring  445 
The  stones  in  heaps  together,  and  shalt  plant 
Tall  trees,  and  I  will  feed  thee  through  the  year, 
And  give  thee  clothes,  and  sandals  for  thy  feet. 

But  thou  art  used,  no  doubt,  to  idle  ways, 

And  never  dost  thou  work  with  willing  hands,  450 
But  dost  prefer  to. roam  the  town  and  beg, 
Purveying  for  thy  gluttonous  appetite.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  thus  :  — 

“  Eurymachus,  if  we  were  matched  in  work 
Against  each  other  in  the  time  of  spring  45s 

When  days  are  long,  and  both  were  mowing  grass, 
And  I  had  a  curved  scythe  in  hand  and  thou 
Another,  that  we  might  keep  up  the  strife 
Till  nightfall,  fasting,  ’mid  the  abundant  grass ; 

Or  if  there  were  a  yoke  of  steers  to  drive,  460 

The  sturdiest  of  their  kind,  sleek,  large,  well  fed, 
Of  equal  age,  and  equal  strength  to  bear 
The  labor,  and  both  strong,  and  if  the  field 
Were  of  four  acres,  with  a  soil  through  which 
The  plough  could  cleave  its  way,  —  then  shouldst 
thou  see  46s 

How  evenly  my  furrow  would  be  turned. 

Or  should  the  son  of  Saturn  send  to-day 
War  from  abroad,  and  I  had  but  a  shield, 

Two  spears,  and,  fitted  to  my  brows,  a  helm 


Book  XVIII. 


131 

Of  brass,  thou  wouldst  behold  me  pressing  on  470 
Among  the  foremost  warriors,  and  would  see 
No  cause  to  rail  at  my  keen  appetite. 

But  arrogantly  thou  dost  bear  thyself, 

And  pitilessly ;  thou  in  thine  own  eyes 

Art  great  and  mighty,  since  thou  dost  consort  475 

With  few,  and  those  are  not  the  best  of  men. 

Yet  should  Ulysses  come  to  his  own  land, 

These  gates  that  seem  so  wide  would  suddenly 
Become  too  narrow  for  thee  in  thy  flight.” 

He  spake.  Eurymachus  grew  yet  more  wroth,  480 
And  frowned  on  him,  and  said  in  winged  words  :  — 
“  Wretch !  I  shall  do  thee  mischief.  Thou  art 
bold, 

And  babblest  unabashed  among  us  all. 

The  wine,  perhaps,  is  in  thy  foolish  head, 

Or  thou  art  always  thus,  and  ever  prone  485 

To  prattle  impudently.  Art  thou  proud 
Of  conquering  Irus,  that  poor  vagabond  ?” 

Thus  having  said,  he  brandished  in  the  air 
A  footstool ;  but  Ulysses,  to  escape 
The  anger  of  Eurymachus,  sat  down  49° 

Before  the  knees  of  the  Dulichian  prince, 
Amphinomus.  The  footstool  flew,  and  struck 
On  the  right  arm  the  cupbearer.  Down  fell 
The  beaker  ringing ;  he  who  bore  it  lay 
Stretched  in  the  dust.  Then  in  those  shadowy  halls 
The  suitors  rose  in  tumult.  One  of  them  496 

Looked  at  another  by  his  side,  and  said  :  — 


132 


The  Odyssey. 


“  Would  that  this  vagabond  had  met  his  death 
Ere  he  came  hither.  This  confusion,  then, 

Had  never  been.  ’T  is  for  a  beggar’s  sake 
We  wrangle,  and  the  feast  will  henceforth  give 
No  pleasure ;  we  shall  go  from  bad  to  worse.” 

Then  rose  in  majesty  Telemachus, 

And  said  :  “Ye  are  not  in  your  senses  sure, 
Unhappy  men,  who  cannot  eat  and  drink 
In  peace.  Some  deity,  no  doubt,  has  moved 
Your  minds  to  frenzy.  Now,  when  each  of  you 
Has  feasted  well,  let  each  withdraw  to  sleep, 
Just  when  he  will.  I  drive  no  man  away.” 

He  spake  ;  the  suitors  heard,  and  bit  their  lips, 
And  wondered  at  Telemachus,  who  spake 
So  resolutely.  Then  Amphinomus, 

The  son  of  Nisus  Aretiades, 

Stood  forth,  harangued  the  suitor-crowd,  and  said : 

“  O  friends  !  let  no  one  here  with  carping  words 
Seek  to  deny  what  is  so  justly  said, 

Nor  yet  molest  the  stranger,  nor  do  harm 
To  any  of  the  servants  in  the  halls 
Of  the  great  chief  Ulysses.  Now  let  him 
Who  brings  the  guests  their  wine  begin  and  fill 
The  cups,  that,  pouring  to  the  gods  their  part, 
We  may  withdraw  to  sleep.  The  stranger  here 
Leave  me  within  the  palace,  and  in  charge 
Of  him  to  whom  he  came,  Telemachus.” 

He  ended.  All  were  pleased,  and  Mutlus  then, 
Hero  and  herald  from  Dulichium’s  coast, 


Book  XIX. 


133 


And  follower  of  the  prince  Amphinomus, 

Mingled  a  jar  of  wine,  and  went  to  each, 
Dispensing  it.  They  to  the  blessed  gods 
Poured  first  a  part,  and  then  they  drank  themselves  530 
The  generous  juice.  And  when  the  wine  was  poured, 
And  they  had  drunk  what  each  desired,  they  went 
Homeward  to  slumber,  each  in  his  abode. 


BOOK  XIX. 

NOW  was  the  godlike  chief  Ulysses  left 

In  his  own  palace,  planning,  with  the  aid 
Of  Pallas,  to  destroy  the  suitor-train, 

And  thus  bespake  his  son  with  winged  words  :  — 

“  Now  is  the  time,  Telemachus,  to  take  5 

The  weapons  that  are  here,  and  store  them  up 
In  the  inner  rooms.  Then,  if  the  suitors  ask 
The  reason,  answer  them  with  specious  words  : 

Say,  1 1  have  put  them  where  there  comes  no  smoke, 
Since  even  now  they  do  not  seem  the  arms  10 

Left  by  Ulysses  when  he  sailed  for  Troy, 

So  tarnished  are  they  by  the  breath  of  fire ; 

And  yet  another  reason  sways  my  mind, 

The  prompting  of  some  god,  that  ye,  when  flushed 
With  wine  and  in  the  heat  of  a  dispute,  15 

May  smite  and  wound  each  other,  and  disgrace 
The  banquet  and  your  wooing  ;  for  the  sight 


134 


The  Odyssey. 


Of  steel  doth  draw  men  on  to  violence.’  ” 

He  ended,  and  Telemachus  obeyed 
His  father’s  words,  and  calling  forth  his  nurse,  20 
The  aged  Eurycleia,  said  to  her :  — 

“  Go,  nurse,  and  see  the  women  all  shut  up 
In  their  own  place,  while  in  our  inner  room 
I  lay  away  my  father’s  beautiful  arms, 

Neglected  long,  and  sullied  by  the  smoke,  25 

While  he  was  absent.  I  was  then  a  child, 

But  now  would  keep  them  from  the  breath  of  fire.” 

And  thus  the  nurse,  Dame  Eurycleia,  said  : 

“  Would  that  at  length,  my  child,  thou  didst  exert 
Thy  proper  wisdom  here,  and  take  in  charge  30 
Thy  house  and  thy  possessions.  But  who  goes 
With  thee  to  bear  a  torch,  since  none  of  these, 

Thy  handmaids,  are  allowed  to  light  thy  way  ?  ” 

And  thus  discreet  Telemachus  replied  : 

“  This  stranger.  No  man  may  be  idle  here  35 
Who  eats  my  bread,  though  from  a  distant  land.” 

He  spake,  nor  flew  his  words  in  vain.  The  nurse 
Closed  all  the  portals  of  that  noble  pile. 

Ulysses  and  his  glorious  son  in  haste 
Bore  off  the  helmets,  and  the  bossy  shields,  40 

And  the  sharp  spears,  while  Pallas  held  to  them 
A  golden  lamp,  that  shed  a  fair  clear  light. 

Then  to  his  father  spake  Telemachus  :  — 

“  Father !  my  eyes  behold  a  marvel.  All 
The  palace  walls,  each  beautiful  recess,  45 

The  fir-tree  beams,  the  aspiring  columns,  shine, 


Book  XIX. 


135 


Before  my  eyes,  as  with  a  blaze  of  fire. 

Some  god  is  surely  here,  some  one  of  those 
Who  make  their  dwelling  in  the  high  broad  heaven.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  thus  :  50 

“  Keep  silence  ;  give  thy  thought  no  speech,  nor  ask 
Concerning  aught.  Such  is  the  wont  of  those 
Who  dwell  upon  Olympus.  Now  withdraw 
To  rest  upon  thy  couch,  while  I  remain, 

For  I  would  move  thy  mother  and  her  maids  ss 
To  ask  of  what  concerns  me.  She,  I  deem, 

Full  sadly  will  inquire  of  many  things.” 

He  spake  ;  Telemachus  departed  thence, 

By  torchlight,  to  his  chamber,  there  to  rest 
Where  he  was  wont  to  lie  when  gentle  sleep  ‘  60 
Came  over  him.  There  lay  he  down  to  wait 
The  hallowed  morning,  while  Ulysses,  left 
Within  the  palace,  meditated  still 
Death  to  the  suitors  with  Minerva’s  aid. 

The  sage  Penelope  now  left  her  bower ;  es 

Like  Dian  or  like  golden  Venus  came 
The  queen.  Beside  the  hearth  they  placed  for  her 
The  throne  where  she  was  wont  to  sit,  inlaid 
With  ivory  and  silver,  which  of  yore 
The  artisan  Icmalius  wrought.  They  laid  7° 

Close  to  the  throne  a  footstool,  over  which 
Was  spread  an  ample  fleece.  On  this  sat  down 
The  sage  Penelope.  Her  white-armed  train 
Of  handmaids  came  with  her  ;  they  cleared  away 
The  abundant  feast,  and  bore  the  tables  off,  75 


136 


The  Odyssey. 


And  cups  from  which  those  insolent  men  had  drunk  ; 
They  laid  upon  the  ground  the  lighted  brands, 

And  heaped  fresh  fuel  round  them,  both  for  light 
And  warmth.  And  now  Melantho  once  again 
Bespake  Ulysses  with  unmannerly  words  : —  so 
“  Stranger,  wilt  thou  forever  be  a  pest, 

Ranging  the  house  at  night  to  play  the  spy 
Upon  the  women  ?  Leave  the  hall,  thou  wretch  ! 
And  gorge  thyself  without,  else  wilt  thou  go 
Suddenly,  driven  by  blows  and  flaming  brands.”  s5 
The  sage  Ulysses  frowned  on  her,  and  said  : 

“  Pert  creature  !  why  so  fiercely  rail  at  me  ? 

Is  it  that  I  am  squalid  and  ill-clad, 

And  forced  by  want  to  beg  from  hand  to  hand  ? 
Such  is  the  fate  of  poor  and  wandering  men.  90 
I  too  was  opulent  once,  inhabiting 
A  plenteous  home  among  my  fellow-men, 

And  often  gave  the  wanderer  alms,  whoe’er 
He  might  be  and  in  whatsoever  need  ; 

And  I  had  many  servants,  and  large  store  95 

Of  things  by  which  men  lead  a  life  of  ease 

And  are  called  rich.  But  Jupiter,  the  son 

Of  Saturn,  put  an  end  to  this,  for  so 

It  pleased  the  god.  Now,  therefore,  woman,  think 

That  thou  mayst  lose  the  beauty  which  is  now 

Thy  pride  among  the  serving-women  here  ; 

Thy  mistress  may  be  wroth,  and  make  thy  life 
A  hard  one  ;  or  Ulysses  may  come  back,  — 

And  there  is  hope  of  that.  Or  if  it  be 


Book  XIX. 


1 37 


That  he  has  perished,  and  returns  no  more,  105 
There  still  remains  his  son  Telemachus, 

Who  by  Apollo’s  grace  is  now  a  man, 

And  no  one  of  the  women  in  these  halls 
May  think  to  misbehave,  and  yet  escape 
<  His  eye,  for  he  no  longer  is  a  boy.”  no 

He  spake;  Penelope,  the  prudent,  heard, 

And,  calling  to  her  maid,  rebuked  her  thus  :  — 

“  O  bold  and  shameless  !  I  have  taken  note 
Of  thy  behavior  ;  thou  hast  done  a  wrong 
For  which  thy  head  should  answer.  Well  thou 

know’st,  ns 

For  thou  hast  heard  me  say,  that  I  would  ask 
The  stranger  in  these  halls  if  aught  he  knows 
Of  my  Ulysses,  for  whose  sake  I  grieve.” 

Then  to  the  matron  of  the  household  turned 

The  queen,  and  thus  bespake  Eurynome  *  -  120 

“  Bring  now  a  seat,  Eurynome,  and  spread 
A  fleece  upon  it,  where  the  stranger  guest 
May  sit  at  ease,  and  hear  what  I  shall  say, 

And  answer  me,  for  I  have  much  to  ask.” 

She  spake  ;  the  ancient  handmaid  brought  with 
speed  125 

A  polished  seat,  and  o’er  it  spread  a  fleece. 

Ulysses,  much-enduring  chief,  sat  down, 

And  thus  the  sage  Penelope  began  :  — 

“  First  will  I  ask  thee  who  thou  art,  and  whence, 
Where  is  thy  birthplace,  and  thy  parents  who?”  130 
Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  thus  : 


138 


The  Odyssey. 


“O  lady,  none  in  all  the  boundless  earth 
Can  speak  of  thee  with  blame.  Thy  fame  has  reached 
To  the  great  heavens.  It  is  like  the  renown 
Of  some  most  excellent  king,  of  godlike  sway  135 
O’er  many  men  and  mighty,  who  upholds 
Justice  in  all  his  realm.  The  dark-soiled  earth 
Brings  wheat  and  barley  forth  ;  the  trees  are  bowed 
With  fruit ;  the  meadows  swarm  with  noble  herds, . 
The  sea  with  fish,  and  under  his  wise  reign  140 
The  people  prosper.  Therefore  ask,  I  pray, 

Of  other  things,  while  I  am  underneath 
Thy  palace-roof,  but  of  my  race  and  home 
Inquire  not,  lest  thou  waken  in  my  mind 
Unhappy  memories.  I  am  a  man  145 

Of  sorrow,  and  it  would  become  me  ill 
To  sit  lamenting  in  another’s  house 
And  shedding  tears.  Besides,  a  grief  indulged 
Doth  grow  in  violence.  Thy  maids  would  blame, 
And  thou  perhaps,  and  ye  would  call  my  tears  15° 
The  maudlin  tears  of  one  o’ercome  with  wine.” 

Then  spake  the  sage  Penelope  again  : 

“  Stranger,  such  grace  of  feature  and  of  form 
As  once  I  had  the  immortals  took  away, 

What  time  the  Argive  warriors  sailed  for  Troy,  155 
And  my  Ulysses  with  them.  Could  he  now 
Return  to  rule  my  household  as  of  yore, 

The  wider  and  the  brighter  were  my  fame. 

But  now  I  lead  a  wretched  life,  so  great 

And  many  are  the  evils  which  some  god  160 


Book  XIX. : 


139 


Heaps  on  me.  For  the  chieftains  who  bear  sway 
Over  the  isles  —  Dulichium,  and  the  fields 
Of  Samos,  and  Zacynthus  dark  with  woods, 

And  those  who  rule  in  sunny  Ithaca  — 

Woo  me  against  my  will,  and  waste  away  165 

My  substance.  Therefore  have  I  small  regard 
For  strangers  and  for  suppliants,  and  the  tribe 
Of  heralds,  servants  of  the  public  weal, 

But,  pining  for  Ulysses,  wear  away 
My  life.  The  suitors  urge  the  marriage  rite,  17° 
And  I  with  art  delay  it.  Once  some  god 
Prompted  me  to  begin  an  ample  web, 

Wide  and  of  subtle  texture,  in  my  rooms. 

And  then  I  said  :  ‘  Youths,  who  are  pressing  me 
To  marriage,  since  Ulysses  is  no  more,  175 

Urge  me  no  further  till  I  shall  complete  — 

That  so  the  threads  may  not  be  spun  in  vain  — 
This  shroud  for  old  Laertes,  when  grim  fate 
And  death’s  long  sleep  at  last  shall  overtake 
The  hero  ;  else  among  the  multitude  ;  180 

Of  Grecian  women  I  shall  bear  the  blame, 

If  one  whose  ample  wealth  so  well  was  known 
Should  lie  in  death  without  a  funeral  robe.’ 

I  spake,  and  easily  their  minds  were  swayed 
By  what  I  said,  and  I  began  to  weave  185 

The  ample  web,  but  ravelled  it  again 
By  torchlight  every  evening.  For  three  years 
I  foiled  them  thus  ;  but  when  the  fourth  year  came, 
And  brought  its  train  of  hours  and  changing  moons, 


140 


The  Odyssey. 


And  many  days  had  passed,  they  came  on  me, 
And  through  my  maidens’  fault,  a  careless  crew. 
They  caught  me  at  my  fraud,  and  chid  me  sore. 
So,  though  unwilling,  I  was  forced  to  end 
My  task,  and  cannot  longer  now  escape 
The  marriage,  nor  is  any  refuge  left. 

My  parents  both  exhort  me  earnestly 
To  choose  a  husband,  and  my  son  with  grief 
Beholds  the  suitors  wasting  his  estate, 

And  he  already  is  a  man  and  well 
Can  rule  his  household  ;  Jupiter  bestows 
Such  honor  on  him.  Now,  I  pray,  declare 
Thy  lineage,  for  thou  surely  art  not  sprung 
From  the  old  fabulous  oak,  nor  from  a  rock.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  her  : 

“  O  royal  consort  of  Laertes’  son  ! 

Wilt  thou  still  ask  my  lineage  ?  I  will  then 
Disclose  it,  but  thou  wakest  in  my  heart 
New  sorrows.  So  it  ever  is  with  one 
Who  long,  like  me,  is  far  away  from  home, 
Wandering  in  many  realms,  and  suffering  much; 
But  since  thou  dost  require  it,  thou  shalt  hear. 

“  Crete  is  a  region  lying  in  the  midst 
Of  the  black  deep,  a  fair  and  fruitful  land, 

Girt  by  the  waters.  Many  are  the  men, 

Nay,  numberless,  who  make  it  their  abode, 

And  ninety  are  its  cities.  Different  tongues 
Are  spoken  by  the  dwellers  of  the  isle. 

In  part  they  are  Achaians,  and  in  part 


Book  XIX. 


141 

Are  Cretans  of  the  soil,  a  gallant  stock  ; 

There  dwell  Cydonians,  Dorians  of  three  tribes,  *» 
And  proud  Pelasgians.  Their  great  capital 
Is  Cnossus,  where  the  monarch  Minos  dwelt, 

He  who  at  every  nine  years’  end  conferred 
With  Jove  almighty ;  and  to  him  was  born 
Deucalion,  my  brave  father,  who  begat  325 

Me  and  Idomeneus,  the  King  of  Crete. 

To  Ilium  in  his  beaked  galleys  sailed 
Idomeneus  with  Atreus’  sons.  My  name  — 

A  name  well  known  —  is  Hiithon.  ’T  was  at  Crete 
I  saw  Ulysses,  who  received  from  me  230 

The  welcome  due  a  guest.  A  violent  wind 
Had  driven  him  from  Maleia  and  the  course 
That  led  to  Ilium,  and  had  carried  him 
To  Crete,  and  lodged  him  in  the  dangerous  port 
Amnisus,  close  to  Ilithyia’s  cave,  235 

Where  scarce  his  fleet  escaped  the  hurricane. 
Thence  came  he  to  the  city,  and  inquired 
For  King  Idomeneus,  who  was,  he  said, 

His  dear  and  honored  guest ;  but  he  had  sailed 
Ten  days  before,  perhaps  eleven,  for  Troy,  240 
In  his  beaked  galleys.  To  the  palace  there 
I  led  Ulysses,  and  with  liberal  cheer 
Welcomed  the  chief,  for  plentifully  stored 
The  royal  dwelling  was.  I  also  gave 
Meal  from  the  public  magazines  to  him  24s 

And  those  who  followed  him,  and  dark  red  wine 
Brought  from  the  country  round,  and  beeves  to  slay 


142 


The  Odyssey. 


In  sacrifice,  that  so  their  hearts  might  feel 
No  lack  of  aught.  Twelve  days  the  noble  Greeks 
Remained  with  us.  A  violent  north-wind,  250 

Which  scarcely  suffered  them  to  stand  upright 
On  shore,  withstood  them.  Some  unfriendly  power 
Had  bid  it  blow ;  but  on  the  thirteenth  day 
Its  fury  ceased,  and  the  fleet  put  to  sea.” 

Thus  went  he  on,  inventing  tales  that  seemed  235 
Like  truth.  She  listened,  melting  into  tears 
That  flowed  as  when  on  mountain  height  the  snow, 
Shed  by  the  west-wind,  feels  the  east-wind’s  breath, 
And  flows  in  water,  and  the  hurrying  streams 
Are  filled  ;  so  did  Penelope’s  fair  cheeks  260 

Seem  to  dissolve  in  tears,  — tears  shed  for  him 
Who  sat  beside  her  even  then.  He  saw 
His  weeping  wife,  and  pitied  her  at  heart ; 

Yet  were  his  eyes  like  iron  or  like  horn, 

And  moved  not  in  their  lids ;  for  artfully  265 

He  kept  his  tears  from  falling.  When  the  queen 
Had  ceased  to  weep,  she  answered  him  and  said :  — 

“  Now,  stranger,  let  me  prove  thee,  if  in  truth 
Thou  didst  receive,  as  thou  hast  just  declared, 

In  thine  abode,  my  husband  and  his  train  270 

Of  noble  friends.  Describe  the  garb  he  wore  ; 
How  looked  he,  and  the  friends  he  brought  with 
him  ?  ” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  her: 

“  O  lady,  hard  it  is  to  answer  thee, 

So  long  have  I  been  far  away  from  home. 


27s 


Book  XIX. 


M3 


*T  is  now  the  twentieth  year  since  he  was  there 
And  left  the  isle,  but,  as  my  memory  bids. 

So  will  I  speak.  A  fleecy  purple  cloak 

Ulysses  wore,  a  double  web  ;  the  clasp 

Was  golden,  with  two  fastenings,  and  in  front  280 

It  showed  a  work  of  rare  design,  —  a  hound 

That  held  in  his  fore-paws  a  spotted  fawn, 

Struggling  before  his  open  mouth.  Although 

The  figures  were  of  gold,  we  all  admired 

The  hound  intent  to  break  his  victim’s  neck,  285 

The  fawn  that,  writhing,  plied  her  nimble  feet 

To  free  herself.  Around  the  hero’s  chest 

And  waist  I  saw  a  lustrous  tunic  worn, 

Soft,  like  the  thin  film  of  the  onion  dried, 

And  bright  as  sunshine;  many  ladies  looked  290 
With  wonder  on  it.  Yet  consider  this  ; 

I  know  not  whether  thus  attired  he  left 
His  home,  or  whether,  in  the  voyage  thence, 

Some  comrade  gave  the  garments,  or  perhaps 
Some  friendly  host,  for  he  was  very  dear  295 

To  many ;  among  the  Greeks  were  few  like  him. 

I  gave  him,  from  myself,  a  brazen  sword, 

And  a  fair  purple  cloak,  a  double  web, 

Besides  a  tunic  reaching  to  his  feet, 

And  with  due  honors  sent  him  on  his  way  300 

In  his  good  ship.  There  came  and  went  with  him 
A  herald  somewhat  older  than  himself ; 

Let  me  portray  him,  —  hunchbacked,  swarthy 
skinned, 


144 


The  Odyssey. 


And  curly  haired,  Eurybates  his  name. 

Ulysses  honored  him  above  the  rest  305 

Of  his  companions,  for  they  thought  alike.” 

He  ceased  ;  the  queen  was  moved  to  deeper  grief, 
For  she  remembered  all  the  tokens  well 
Of  which  he  spake ;  and  when  that  passionate  gust 
Of  weeping  ceased,  she  spake  again  and  said  :  —  3i0 

“  Stranger,  till  now  thy  presence  in  these  halls 
Has  only  moved  my  pity ;  thou  henceforth 
Art  dear  and  honored.  It  was  I  who  gave 
The  garments  thou  hast  told  me  of ;  these  hands 
Folded  them  in  my  chamber.  I  put  on  31s 

The  glittering  clasp  to  be  his  ornament, 

And  now  I  never  shall  behold  him  more 
Returning  to  his  own  dear  land  and  home ; 

So  cruel  was  the  fate  that  took  him  hence 
To  Ilium,  in  his  roomy  ship,  a  town  320 

Of  evil  omen  never  to  be  named.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  thus : 

“  O  gracious  consort  of  Laertes’  son  ! 

Let  not  thy  grief  for  him  whom  thou  hast  lost 
Wither  thy  beauty  longer,  and  consume  32s 

Thy  heart.  And  yet  I  blame  thee  not  at  all ; 

For  any  wife  in  losing  him  to  whom 
She  gave  herself  while  yet  a  maid,  and  bore 
Children,  will  mourn  him,  though  he  be  in  worth 
Below  Ulysses,  who,  as  fame  declares,  330 

Is  like  the  gods.  But  cease  to  grieve,  and  hear 
What  I  shall  say,  and  I  shall  speak  the  truth, 


Book  XIX. 


145 


Nor  will  I  hide  from  thee  that  I  have  heard, 

But  lately  from  Ulysses,  yet  alive, 

And  journeying  homeward,  in  the  opulent  realm  33s 
Of  the  Thesprotians,  whence  he  brings  with  him 
Much  and  rare  treasure,  gathered  there  among 
The  people.  His  beloved  friends  he  lost, 

And  his  good  ship  ;  the  black  deep  swallowed  them 
In  coming  from  Trinacria,  for  his  crew  340 

Had  slaughtered  there  the  oxen  of  the  Sun. 

The  Sun  and  Jove  were  angry;  therefore  all 
His  comrades  perished  in  the  billowy  sea ; 

But  him  upon  his  galley’s  keel  the  wind 
Drove  to  the  coast  where  the  Phseacians  dwell,  343 
The  kinsmen  of  the  gods.  They  welcomed  him, 
And  honored  him  as  if  he  were  a  god, 

And  gave  him  many  things,  and  would  have  sent 
The  hero  safely  to  his  native  isle; 

And  here  Ulysses  would  have  been  long  since,  350 
But  that  he  deemed  it  wise  to  travel  far, 

And  gather  wealth,  —  for  well  Ulysses  knew, 
Beyond  all  other  men,  the  arts  of  gain, 

And  none  in  these  could  think  to  rival  him ; 

So  Pheidon,  king  of  the  Thesprotians  said,  355 
Who  also,  in  his  palace,  swore  to  me  — 

As  to  the  gods  of  heaven  he  poured  the  wine  — 

That  even  then  a  galley  was  drawn  down 

Into  the  water,  and  already  manned 

With  rowers,  who  should  take  Ulysses  home.  360 

But  me  he  first  dismissed,  for  at  the  time 

7  1 


VOL.  II. 


146 


The  Odyssey. 


A  bark  of  the  Thesprotians  left  the  port, 

Bound  for  Dulichium’s  cornfields.  Ere  I  went 

He  showed  the  treasures  of  Ulysses  stored 

In  the  king’s  palace,  —  treasures  that  might  serve  3% 

To  feed  the  household  of  another  chief 

To  the  tenth  generation.  He  who  owned 

That  wealth  was  at  Dodona,  so  the  king 

Declared,  inquiring,  at  the  lofty  oak 

Of  Jupiter,  the  counsel  of  the  god  370 

How  to  return  to  his  dear  native  land, 

So  long  a  wanderer,  —  whether  openly 

Or  else  by  stealth.  So  he  is  safe,  and  soon 

Will  he  be  nearer  to  us  ;  for  not  long 

Can  he  remain  away  from  all  his  friends  375 

And  fatherland.  To  this  I  plight  my  oath  ; 

Let  Jove,  the  greatest  and  the  best  of  gods, 

Be  witness,  and  this  hearth  of  the  good  prince 
Ulysses,  where  I  sit,  that  every  word 
Which  I  have  said  to  thee  will  be  fulfilled.  380 

Within  the  year  Ulysses  will  return, 

As  this  month  passes  and  the  next  comes  in.” 

Then  spake  the  sage  Penelope  again : 

“  Would  that  it  might  be  thus,  O  stranger  guest. 

As  thou  hast  said  ;  then  shouldst  thou  have  such 
thanks  38s 

And  bounty  at  my  hands  that  every  one 
Who  meets  thee  should  rejoice  with  thee.  And  yet 
The  thought  abides  with  me,  and  so  indeed 
It  must  be,  that  Ulysses  will  no  more 


Book  XIX. 


14  7 


Return,  nor  wilt  thou  find  an  escort  hence  ;  390 

For  now  no  master  like  Ulysses  rules  — 

And  what  a  man  wras  he  !  — within  these  walls, 

To  welcome  or  dismiss  the  honored  guest 
But  now,  ye  maidens,  let  the  stranger  bathe, 

And  spread  his  couch  with  blankets,  fleecy  cloaks, 
And  showy  tapestries,  that  he  may  lie  396 

Warm  till  the  Morning,  in  her  golden  car, 

Draw  near ;  then  with  the  early  morn  again 
Bathe  and  anoint  him,  that  he  may  sit  down 
Beside  Telemachus  prepared  to  take  400 

His  morning  meal.  Ill  shall  he  fare  who  dares 
Molest  the  stranger ;  he  shall  have  no  place 
Or  office  here,  however  he  may  rage. 

And  how,  O  stranger,  wouldst  thou  learn  that  I 
In  mind  and  thoughtful  wisdom  am  above  405 

All  other  women,  if  I  let  thee  sit 
Squalid  and  meanly  clad  at  banquets  here? 

Short  is  the  life  of  man,  and  whoso  bears 
A  cruel  heart,  devising  cruel  things, 

On  him  men  call  down  evil  from  the  gods  410 

While  living,  and  pursue  him,  when  he  dies, 

With  scoffs.  But  whoso  is  of  generous  heart 
And  harbors  generous  aims,  his  guests  proclaim 
His  praises  far  and  wide  to  all  mankind, 

And  numberless  are  they  who  call  him  good.”  415 
Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  thus : 

“  O  gracious  consort  of  Laertes’  son  ! 

Such  cloaks  and  splendid  coverings  please  me  not, 


148 


The  Odyssey. 


Since  in  my  long-oared  bark  I  left  behind 

The  snowy  peaks  of  Crete.  I  still  will  lie,  420 

As  I  am  wont  through  many  a  sleepless  night, 

On  a  mean  couch  to  wait  the  holy  Morn 

Upon  her  car  of  gold.  I  do  not  like 

This  washing  of  the  feet.  No  maiden  here 

.That  ministers  to  thee  may  touch  my  foot ;  425 

But  if  among  them  be  some  aged  dame 

And  faithful,  who  has  suffered  in  her  life 

As  I  have  suffered,  she  may  touch  my  feet.” 

And  thus  the  sage  Penelope  rejoined : 

“  Dear  guest,  —  for  never  to  these  halls  has  come  430 

A  stranger  so  discreet  or  better  liked 

By  me,  so  wisely  thou  dost  speak,  and  well,  — 

I  have  an  aged  prudent  dame,  whose  care 
Reared  my  unfortunate  husband.  She  received 
The  nursling  when  his  mother  brought  him  forth,  433 
And  she,  though  small  her  strength,  will  wash  thy 
feet. 

Rise,  prudent  Eurycleia,  thou  shalt  wash 
The  feet  of  one  whose  years  must  be  the  same 
As  thy  own  master’s ;  such  is  doubtless  now 
Ulysses,  with  such  wrinkled  feet  and  hands.  440 
For  quickly  doth  misfortune  make  men  old.” 

She  spake ;  the  aged  handmaid  hid  her  face 
With  both  her  hands,  and,  shedding  bitter  tears, 
Thus  sorrowfully  to  the  queen  replied  :  — 

“  My  heart  is  sad  for  thee,  my  son ;  and  yet 
I  can  do  nothing.  Can  it  be  that  Jove 


443 


Book  XIX. 


149 


Hates  thee  beyond  all  other?  though  thyself 
So  reverent  to  the  gods  ?  No  man  on  earth 
Has  burned  so  many  thighs  of  fatling  beasts 
And  chosen  hecatombs  as  thou  to  Jove  450 

\ 

The  Thunderer,  with  prayer  that  thou  mayst  reach 
A  calm  old  age,  and  rear  thy  glorious  son 
To  manhood;  yet  the  god  hath  cut  thee  off 
From  thy  return  forever.  Even  now 
Perchance  the  women  of  some  princely  house  455 
Which  he  has  entered  in  some  distant  land 
Scoff  at  him  as  these  wretched  creatures  scoff 
At  thee,  O  stranger,  who,  to  shun  their  taunts 
And  insults,  wilt  not  suffer  them  to  wash 
Thy  feet.  The  sage  Penelope  commands,  460 

And  I  am  not  unwilling.  I  will  wash 
Thy  feet,  both  for  her  sake  and  for  thy  own ; 

For  deeply  am  I  moved  at  sight  of  thee. 

Hear  what  I  say  :  of  strangers  in  distress 
Come  many  hither,  yet  have  I  beheld  465 

No  one  who  bears,  in  shape  and  voice  and  feet, 
Such  likeness  to  our  absent  lord  as  thou.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  thus  replied  : 

“  O  aged  woman,  so  has  it  been  said 
By  all  who  have  beheld  both  him  and  me.  470 

They  all  declare  that  we  are  very  like 
Each  other ;  thou  in  this  hast  spoken  well.” 

He  spake ;  she  took  a  shining  vase  designed 
For  washing  feet,  and  poured  cold  water  in 
In  large  abundance,  and  warm  water  next.  475 


The  Odyssey. 


150 

Ulysses,  who  had  sat  before  the  hearth, 

Moved  to  a  darker  spot,  for  in  his  mind 
The  thought  arose  that  she  might  find  a  scar 
Upon  his  limbs  in  handling  them,  and  thus  479 
His  secret  would  be  known.  She  came  and  bathed 
His  feet,  and  found  the  scar.  ’T  was  where  a  boar 
With  his  white  tooth  had  gashed  the  limb,  as  once 
He  journeyed  to  Parnassus,  where  he  paid 
A  visit  to  Autolycus  and  his  sons, 

His  mother’s  noble  father,  who  excelled  48s 

All  men  in  craft  and  oaths,  such  was  the  gift 
Conferred  on  him  by  Hermes  ;  for  to  him 
Autolycus  made  grateful  offerings, 

The  thighs  of  lambs  and  kids,  and  evermore 
The  god  was  with  him.  Once  Autolycus  490 

Came  to  the  opulent  realm  of  Ithaca, 

And  found  his  daughter  with  a  son  new  born ; 

There  Eurycleia  placed  upon  his  knees 

The  infant,  just  as  he  had  supped,  and  said  :  — 

“  Give  this  dear  babe,  Autolycus,  a  name,  —  495 

Thy  daughter’s  son,  vouchsafed  to  many  prayers.’' 

And  thus  Autolycus  in  answer  spake  : 

“  Daughter  and  son-in-law,  be  his  the  name 
That  I  shall  give.  In  coming  to  his  isle 
I  bear  the  hate  of  many  —  both  of  men  s°o 

And  women  —  scattered  o’er  the  nourishing  earth  ; 
Name  him  Ulysses  therefore,  and  when,  grown 
To  man’s  estate,  he  visits  the  proud  halls 
Reared  at  Parnassus,  where  his  mother  dwelt 


Book  XIX. 


I5t 

And  rny  possessions  lie,  I  will  bestow  505 

A  share  on  him,  and  send  him  home  rejoiced.” 

And  therefore  went  Ulysses  to  receive 
The  promised  princely  gifts.  Autolycus 
And  all  his  sons  received  him  with  kind  words, 

And  friendly  grasp  of  hands.  Amphithea  there  —  5™ 
His  mother’s  mother  —  took  him  in  her  arms, 

And  kissed  his  brow  and  both  his  beautiful  eyes. 

Then  to  his  noble  sons  Autolycus 

Called  to  prepare  a  feast,  and  they  obeyed. 

They  brought  and  slew  a  steer  of  five  years  old,  51s 
And  flayed  and  dressed  it,  hewed  the  joints  apart, 
And  sliced  the  flesh,  and  fixed  it  upon  spits, 
Roasted  it  carefully,  and  gave  to  each 
His  part.  So  all  the  day  till  set  of  sun 
They  feasted,  to  the  full  content  of  all.  520 

And  when  the  sun  had  set,  and  earth  grew  dark, 
They  laid  them  down,  and  took  the  gift  of  sleep. 

But  when  the  rosy-fingered  Morn  appeared, 

Born  of  the  Dawn,  forth  issued  the  young  men, 

The  children  of  Autolycus,  with  hounds,  52^ 

To  hunt,  attended  by  their  noble  guest, 

Ulysses.  Up  the  steeps  of  that  high  mount 
Parnassus,  clothed  with  woods,  they  climbed,  an(\ 
soon 

Were  on  its  airy  heights.  The  sun,  new  risen 
From  the  deep  ocean’s  gently  flowing  stream, 

Now  smote  the  fields.  The  hunters  reached  a  deb  3 
The  hounds  before  them  tracked  the  game ;  behind 


152 


The  Odyssey . 


Followed  the  children  of  Autolycus. 

The  generous  youth  Ulysses,  brandishing 
A  spear  of  mighty  length,  came  pressing  on  535 
Close  to  the  hounds.  There  lay  a  huge  wild  boar 
Within  a  thicket,  where  moist-blowing  winds 
Came  not,  nor  in  his  brightness  could  the  sun 
Pierce  with  his  beams  the  covert,  nor  the  rain 
Pelt  through,  so  closely  grew  the  shrubs.  The 
ground  540 

Was  heaped  with  sheddings  of  the  withered  leaves. 
Around  him  came  the  noise  of  dogs  and  men 
Approaching  swiftly.  From  his  lair  he  sprang 
And  faced  them,  with  the  bristles  on  his  neck 
Upright,  and  flashing  eyes.  Ulysses  rushed  545 
Before  the  others,  with  the  ponderous  spear 
Raised  high  in  his  strong  hand  intent  to  smite. 

The  boar  was  first  to  strike ;  he  dealt  a  blow 
Sidelong,  and  gashed  his  foe  above  the  knee, 

And  tore  the  flesh,  but  left  untouched  the  bone.  55° 
Ulysses,  striking  with  his  burnished  spear 
The  boar’s  right  shoulder,  drove  the  weapon  through. 
He  fell  with  piercing  cries  amid  the  dust, 

And  the  life  left  him.  Then  around  their  guest 
The  kindly  children  of  Autolycus  sss 

Came  and  bound  up  with  care  the  wound,  and 
stanched 

With  spells  the  dark  blood  of  the  blameless  youth, 
And  hastened  with  him  to  their  father’s  home. 

And  when  Autolycus  and  they  his  sons 


Book  XIX. 


153 


Had  seen  him  wholly  healed,  they  loaded  him  560 
With  presents,  and,  rejoicing  for  his  sake, 

Sent  him  rejoicing  back  to  Ithaca. 

His  father  and  his  gracious  mother  there 
Rejoiced  in  turn,  and  asked  him  of  the  scar, 

And  how  it  came,  and  he  related  all,  —  s^s 

How  by  the  white  tusk  of  a  savage  boar 
The  wound  was  given  on  the  Parnassian  heights, 
As  he  was  hunting  with  her  father’s  sons. 

The  aged  woman,  as  she  took  the  foot 
Into  her  hands,  perceived  by  touch  the  scar,  570 
And,  letting  fall  the  limb,  it  struck  the  vase. 

Loud  rang  the  brass,  the  vase  was  overturned, 

And  poured  the  water  forth.  At  once  a  rush 
Of  gladness  and  of  grief  came  o’er  her  heart. 

Tears  filled  her  eyes,  and  her  clear  voice  was 
choked.  575 

She  touched  Ulysses  on  the  chin,  and  said  :  — 

“  Dear  child  !  thou  art  Ulysses,  of  a  truth. 

I  knew  thee  not  till  I  had  touched  the  scar.” 

So  speaking,  toward  Penelope  she  turned 
Her  eyes,  about  to  tell  her  that  her  lord  sso 

Was  in  the  palace  ;  but  the  queen  saw  not, 

And  all  that  passed  was  unperceived  by  her, 

For  Pallas  turned  her  thoughts  another  way. 
Meantime,  Ulysses  on  the  nurse’s  throat 
Laid  his  right  hand,  and  with  the  other  drew  58s 
The  aged  woman  nearer  him,  and  said  :  — 

“Nurse,  wouldst  thou  ruin  me,  who  drew  long  since 
7* 


The  Odyssey. 


154 

Milk  from  thy  bosom,  and  who  now  return, 

After  much  suffering  borne  for  twenty  years, 

To  mine  own  land  ?  Now  then,  since  thou  hast 
learned  59= 

The  truth,  —  by  prompting  of  some  god,  no  doubt,  — 
Keep  silence,  lest  some  others  in  the  house 
Should  learn  it  also.  Else,  —  I  tell  thee  this, 

And  will  perform  my  word,  —  if  God  permit 
That  I  o’ercome  the  arrogant  suitor-crew,  59s 

Nurse  as  thou  art,  I  spare  not  even  thee, 

When  in  these  halls  the  other  maidens  die.” 

Then  thus  the  prudent  Eurycleia  said  : 

“  What  words,  my  son,  have  passed  thy  lips  ?  for 
well 

Thou  knowest  my  firm  mind  ;  it  never  yields.  &o 
Like  solid  rock  or  steel  I  keep  my  trust. 

This  let  me  tell  thee,  and,  I  pray  thee,  keep 
My  words  in  mind.  If,  by  the  aid  of  God, 

Thou  overcome  the  arrogant  suitor-crew, 

Then  will  I  name  the  handmaids  that  disgrace  fos 
Thy  household,  and  point  out  the  innocent.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  thus  rejoined  : 

“  Why  name  them,  nurse?  It  needs  not.  I  myself 
Shall  watch  them,  and  shall  know  them  all.  Hold 
thou 

Thy  peace,  and  leave  the  issue  with  the  gods.”  610 
He  spake ;  the  aged  woman  left  the  place 
To  bring  a  second  bath,  for  on  the  floor 
The  first  was  spilled.  When  she  had  bathed  his  feet 


Book  XIX . 


155 


And  made  them  smooth  with  oil,  Ulysses  drew 
Close  to  the  hearth  his  seat  again,  to  take 
The  warmth,  and  with  his  tatters  hid  the  scar. 

And  thus  the  sage  Penelope  began :  — 

“  Stranger,  but  little  longer  will  I  yet 
Inquire  ;  the  hour  of  grateful  rest  is  near 
For  those  who,  though  unhappy,  can  receive  620 
The  balm  of  slumber.  Yet  for  me  some  god 
Appoints  immeasurable  grief.  All  day 
In  sorrows  and  in  sighs,  my  solace  is 
To  oversee  my  maidens  at  their  tasks 
Here  in  the  palace ;  but  when  evening  comes,  625 
And  all  betake  themselves  to  rest,  I  lie 
Upon  my  couch,  and  sorrows  thick  and  sharp 
Awake  new  misery  in  my  heart.  As  when, 

In  the  fresh  spring,  the  swarthy  Nightingale, 
Daughter  of  Pandarus,  among  thick  leaves  630 
Sings  sweetly  to  the  woods,  and,  changing  oft 
The  strain,  pours  forth  her  voice  of  many  notes, 
Lamenting  the  beloved  Itylus, 

Her  son  by  royal  Zethos,  whom  she  smote 
Unwittingly,  and  slew;  with  such  quick  change  635 
My  mind  is  tossed  from  thought  to  thought.  I  muse 
Whether  to  keep  my  place  beside  my  son, 

And  hold  what  here  is  mine,  my  dower,  my  maids 
And  high-roofed  halls,  as  one  who  still  reveres 
Her  husband’s  bed,  and  heeds  the  public  voice,  640 
Or  follow  one  of  the  Achaian  chiefs, 

The  noblest  of  the  wooers,  and  the  one 


The  Odyssey. 


156 

Who  offers  marriage  presents  without  stint. 

My  son’s  green  years,  while  he  was  yet  a  boy, 
Unripe  in  mind,  allowed  me  not  to  wed,  64s 

And  leave  his  father’s  home  ;  but  he  is  grown, 

And  on  the  verge  of  manhood.  He  desires 
That  I  should  leave  the  palace,  for  his  wrath 
Is  great  against  the  men  who  waste  his  wealth. 
Hear,  and  interpret  now  a  dream  of  mine  :  ^ 

Within  these  courts  are  twenty  geese  that  eat 
Corn  from  the  water,  and  I  look  on  them 
Pleased  and  amused.  From  off  a  mountain  came 
A  hook-beaked  eagle,  broke  their  necks,  and  left 
Their  bodies  strewn  about  the  palace  dead,  65S 

And  soared  again  into  the  air  of  heaven. 

I  wept  and  moaned,  although  it  was  a  dream ; 

And  round  me  came  the  fair-haired  Grecian  maids, 
Lamenting  wildly  that  the  bird  of  prey 
Had  slain  my  geese.  Then  came  the  eagle  back,  660 
And  took  his  perch  upon  the  jutting  roof, 

And  thus  bespake  me  in  a  human  voice  :  — 

“  ‘  O  daughter  of  Icarius,  the  renowned  ! 

Let  not  thy  heart  be  troubled ;  this  is  not 
A  dream,  but  a  true  vision,  and  will  be  665 

Fulfilled.  The  geese  denote  the  suitor-train, 

And  I,  who  was  an  eagle  once,  am  come, 

Thy  husband,  now  to  end  them  utterly.’ 

“  He  spake  ;  my  slumbers  left  me,  and  I  looked, 
And  saw  the  geese  that  in  the  palace  still 
Were  at  their  trough,  and  feeding  as  before.” 


670 


Book  XIX. 


1 57 


And  thus  Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  said  : 

“  Lady,  the  dream  that  visited  thy  sleep 
Cannot  be  wrested  to  another  sense. 

Ulysses  has  himself  revealed  to  thee  675 

The  way  of  its  fulfilment.  Death  is  near 
The  suitors,  and  not  one  escapes  his  doom.” 

Then  spake  the  sage  Penelope  again  : 

‘‘Of  dreams,  O  stranger,  some  are  meaningless 
And  idle,  and  can  never  be  fulfilled.  63o 

Two  portals  are  there  for  their  shadowy  shapes, 

Of  ivory  one,  and  one  of  horn.  The  dreams 
That  come  through  the  carved  ivory  deceive 
With  promises  that  never  are  made  good  ; 

But  those  which  pass  the  doors  of  polished  horn,  68S 
And  are  beheld  of  men,  are  ever  true. 

And  yet  I  cannot  hope  that  my  strange  dream 
Came  through  them,  though  my  son  and  I  would  both 
Rejoice  if  it  were  so.  This  let  me  say, 

And  heed  me  well.  To-morrow  brings  to  us  690 
The  hateful  morn  which  takes  me  from  my  home, 
The  palace  of  Ulysses.  I  shall  now 
Propose  a  contest.  In  the  palace  court 
Ulysses  in  a  row  set  up  twelve  stakes, 

Like  props  that  hold  a  galley  up  ;  each  stake  69s 
Had  its  own  ring ;  he  stood  afar,  and  sent 
An  arrow  through  them  all.  I  shall  propose 
This  contest  to  the  suitors.  He  who  bends 
The  bow  with  easy  mastery,  and  sends 
Through  the  twelve  rings  an  arrow,  I  will  take 


700 


158 


The  Odyssey. 


To  follow  from  the  palace  where  I  passed 
My  youthful  married  life,  —  a  beautiful  home, 

And  stored  with  wealth  ;  a  home  which  I  shall  long 
Remember,  even  in  my  nightly  dreams.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  thus  :  70s 

“  O  gracious  consort  of  Laertes’  son  ! 

Let  not  this  contest  be  delayed  ;  the  man 

Of  ready  wiles,  Ulysses,  will  be  here 

Ere,  tampering  with  the  hero’s  polished  bow, 

The  suitors  shall  prevail  to  stretch  the  cord,  710 
And  send  an  arrow  through  the  rings  of  steel.” 

And  thus  the  sage  Penelope  rejoined  : 

“  Stranger,  if,  sitting  in  the  palace  here, 

Thou  still  wouldst  entertain  me  as  thou  dost, 

Sleep  would  not  fall  upon  my  lids ;  and  yet  715 
Sleepless  the  race  of  mortals  cannot  be, 

So  have  the  gods  ordained,  who  measure  out 
His  lot  to  man  upon  the  nourishing  earth. 

I  to  the  upper  rooms  withdraw,  to  take 
My  place  upon  the  couch  which  has  become  720 
To  me  a  place  of  sorrow  and  of  tears 
Since  my  Ulysses  went  away  to  Troy, 

That  fatal  town  which  should  be  named  no  more. 
And  I  will  lay  me  down ;  but  thou  remain 
Within  these  walls,  and  make  the  floor  thy  bed,  72s 
Or  let  these  maidens  spread  a  couch  for  thee.” 

Penelope,  thus  having  spoken,  went 
Up  to  her  royal  bower,  but  not  alone ; 

Her  maids  went  with  her.  When  they  were  within 


Book  XX. 


159 

She  wept  for  her  dear  husband,  till  at  length  730 
The  blue-eyed  Pallas  graciously  distilled 
Upon  her  closing  lids  the  balm  of  sleep. 


BOOK  XX. 

THE  noble  chief,  Ulysses,  in  the  porch 

Lay  down  to  rest'.  An  undressed  bullock’s 
hide 

Was  under  him,  and  over  that  the  skins 
Of  sheep,  which  for  the  daily  sacrifice 
The  Achaians  slew.  Eurynome  had  spread  5 

A  cloak  above  him.  There  he  lay  awake, 

And  meditated  how  he  yet  should  smite 
The  suitors  down.  Meantime,  with  cries  of  mirth 
And  laughter,  came  the  women  forth  to  seek 
The  suitors’  arms.  Ulysses,  inly  moved  10 

With  anger,  pondered  whether  he  should  rise 
And  put  them  all  to  death,  or  give  their  shame 
A  respite  for  another  night,  the  last. 

His  heart  raged  in  his  bosom.  As  a  hound 
Growls,  walking  round  her  whelps,  when  she  be¬ 
holds  15 

A  stranger,  and  is  eager  for  the  attack, 

So  growled  his  heart  within  him,  and  so  fierce 
Was  his  impatience  with  that  shameless  crew. 

He  smote  his  breast,  and  thus  he  chid  his  heart :  — 


160  The  Odyssey . 

“  Endure  it,  heart !  thou  didst  bear  worse  than 
this.  20 

When  the  grim  Cyclops  of  resistless  strength 
Devoured  thy  brave  companions,  thou  couldst  still 
Endure,  till  thou  by  stratagem  didst  leave 
The  cave  in  which  it  seemed  that  thou  must  die.” 

Thus  he  rebuked  his  heart,  and,  growing  calm,  25 
His  heart  submitted  ;  but  the  hero  tossed 
From  side  to  side.  As  when  one  turns  and  turns 
The  stomach  of  a  bullock  filled  with  fat 
And  blood  before  a  fiercely  blazing  fire 
And  wishes  it  were  done,  so  did  the  chief  30 

Shift  oft  from  side  to  side,  while  pondering  how 
To  lay  a  strong  hand  on  the  multitude 
Of  shameless  suitors,  —  he  but  one,  and  they 
So  many.  Meantime  Pallas,  sliding  down 
From  heaven,  in  form  a  woman,  came,  and  there  33 
Beside  his  bed  stood  over  him,  and  spake  :  — 

“  Why,  most  unhappy  of  the  sons  of  men, 

Art  thou  still  sleepless  ?  This  is  thine  abode, 

And  here  thou  hast  thy  consort  and  a  son 
Whom  any  man  might  covet  for  his  own.”  40 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  thus  : 

“  Truly,  O  goddess,  all  that  thou  hast  said 
Is  rightly  spoken.  This  perplexes  me,  — 

How  to  lay  hands  upon  these  shameless  men, 

When  I  am  only  one,  and  they  a  throng 
That  fill  the  palace.  Yet  another  thought, 

And  mightier  still,  —  if,  by  thy  aid  and  Jove’s, 


43 


Book  XX. 


161 


I  slay  the  suitors,  how  shall  I  myself 
Be  safe  thereafter  ?  Think,  I  pray,  of  this.” 

And  thus  in  turn  the  blue-eyed  Pallas  said  :  so 

“O  faint  of  spirit!  in  an  humbler  friend 
Than  I  am,  in  a  friend  of  mortal  birth 
And  less  far-seeing,  one  might  put  his  trust ; 

But  I  am  born  a  goddess,  and  protect 
Thy  life  in  every  danger.  Let  me  say,  55 

And  plainly  say,  if  fifty  armed  bands 
Of  men  should  gather  round  us,  eager  all 
To  take  thy  life,  thou  mightest  drive  away, 
Unharmed  by  them,  their  herds  and  pampered 
flocks. 

But  give  thyself  to  sleep.  To  wake  and  watch  &> 
All  night  is  most  unwholesome.  Thou  shalt  find 
A  happy  issue  from  thy  troubles  yet.” 

She  spake,  and,  shedding  slumber  on  his  lids, 
Upward  the  glorious  goddess  took  her  way 
Back  to  Olympus,  when  she  saw  that  sleep  es 

Had  seized  him,  making  him  forget  all  care 
And  slackening  every  limb.  His  faithful  wife 
Was  still  awake,  and  sat  upright  and  wept 
On  her  soft  couch,  and  after  many  tears 
The  glorious  lady  prayed  to  Dian  thus  :  —  70 

“  Goddess  august !  Diana,  child  of  Jove  ! 

I  would  that  thou  wouldst  send  into  my  heart 
A  shaft  to  take  my  life,  or  that  a  storm 
Would  seize  and  hurl  me  through  the  paths  of  air, 
And  cast  me  into  ocean’s  restless  streams,  75 


K 


The  Odyssey. 


162 

As  once  a  storm,  descending,  swept  away 
The  daughters  born  to  Pandarus.  The  gods 
Had  slain  their  parents,  and  they  dwelt  alone 
As  orphans  in  their  palace,  nourished  there 
By  blessed  Venus  with  the  curds  of  milk,  s3 

And  honey,  and  sweet  wine,  while  Juno  gave 
Beauty  and  wit  beyond  all  womankind, 

And  chaste  Diana  dignity  of  form. 

And  Pallas  every  art  that  graces  life. 

Then,  as  the  blessed  Venus  went  to  ask 
For  them,  of  Jove  the  Thunderer,  on  the  heights 
Of  his  Olympian  mount,  the  crowning  gift 
Of  happy  marriage,  —  for  to  Jove  is  known 
Whatever  comes  to  pass,  and  what  shall  be 
The  fortune,  good  or  ill,  of  mortal  men,  —  9 

The  Harpies  came  meantime,  bore  off  the  maids, 
And  gave  them  to  the  hateful  sisterhood 
Of  Furies  as  their  servants.  So  may  those 
Who  dwell  upon  Olympus  make  an  end 
Of  me,  or  fair-haired  Dian  strike  me  down,  3 

That,  with  the  image  of  Ulysses  still 
Before  my  mind,  I  may  not  seek  to  please 
One  of  less  worth.  This  evil  might  be  boine 
By  one  who  weeps  all  day,  and  feels  at  heart 
A  settled  sorrow,  yet  can  sleep  at  night.  w 

For  sle^p,  when  once  it  weighs  the  eyelids  downt 
Makes  men  unmindful  both  of  good  and  ill, 

And  all  things  else.  But  me  some  deity 
Visits  with  fearful  dreams.  There  lay  by  me, 


Book  XX. 


163 

This  very  night,  one  like  him,  as  he  was  105 

When  with  his  armed  men  he  sailed  for  Troy; 

And  I  was  glad,  for  certainly  I  deemed 
It  was  a  real  presence,  and  no  dream.” 

She  spake.  Just  then,  upon  her  car  of  gold, 
Appeared  the  Morn.  The  great  Ulysses  heard  no 
That  voice  of  lamentation  ;  anxiously 
He  mused  ;  it  seemed  to  him  as  if  the  queen 
Stood  over  him  and  knew  him.  Gathering  up 
In  haste  the  cloak  and  skins  on  which  he  slept, 

He  laid  them  in  the  palace  on  a  seat,  ns 

But  bore  the  bull’s  hide  forth  in  open  air, 

And  lifted  up  his  hands  and  prayed  to  Jove  :  — 

“  O  Father  Jove,  and  all  the  gods  !  if  ye 
Have  led  me  graciously,  o’er  land  and  deep, 

Across  the  earth,  and,  after  suffering  much,  120 
To  mine  own  isle,  let  one  of  those  who  watch 
Within  the  palace  speak  some  ominous  word, 

And  grant  a  sign  from  thee  without  these  walls.” 

So  prayed  he.  All-providing  Jupiter 
Hearkened,  and  thundered  from  the  clouds  around 
The  bright  Olympian  peaks.  Ulysses  heard  126 
With  gladness.  From  a  room  within  the  house, 

In  which  the  mills  of  the  king’s  household  stood, 

A  woman,  laboring  at  the  quern,  gave  forth 
An  omen  also.  There  were  twelve  who  toiled  130 
In  making  flour  of  barley  and  of  wheat,  — 

The  strength  of  man.  The  rest  were  all  asleep  ; 
Their  tasks  were  done  ;  one  only,  of  less  strength 


164 


The  Odyssey. 


Than  any  other  there,  kept  toiling  on. 

She  paused  a  moment,  stopped  the  whirling  stone,  us 
And  spake  these  words,  —  a  portent  for  the  king  :  — 
“  O  Father  Jove,  the  king  of  gods  and  men  ! 
Thou  hast  just  thundered  from  the  starry  heaven, 
And  yet  there  is  no  cloud.  To  some  one  here 
It  is  a  portent.  O  perform  for  me,  140 

All  helpless  as  I  am,  this  one  request ! 

Let  now  the  suitors  in  this  palace  take 
Their  last  and  final  pleasant  feast  to-day, — 

These  men  who  make  my  limbs,  with  constant  toil, 
In  grinding  corn  for  them,  to  lose  their  strength,  us 
Once  let  them  banquet  here,  and  then  no  more.” 

She  spake  ;  the  omen  of  the  woman’s  words 
And  Jove’s  loud  thunder  pleased  Ulysses  well ; 

And  now  he  deemed  he  should  avenge  himself 
Upon  the  guilty  ones.  The  other  maids  is» 

Of  that  fair  palace  of  Ulysses  woke 
And  came  together,  and  upon  the  hearth 
Kindled  a  steady  fire.  Telemachus 
Rose  from  his  bed  in  presence  like  a  god, 

Put  on  his  garments,  hung  his  trenchant  sword  us 
Upon  his  shoulder,  tied  to  his  fair  feet 
The  shapely  sandals,  took  his  massive  spear 
Tipped  with  sharp  brass,  and,  stopping  as  he  reached 
The  threshold,  spake  to  Eurycleia  thus  :  — 

“  Dear  nurse,  have  ye  with  honor  fed  and  lodged 
Our  guest,  or  have  ye  suffered  him  to  find  161 

A  lodging  where  he  might,  without  your  care  ? 


Book  XX. 


165 


Discerning  as  she  is,  my  mother  pays 
High  honor  to  the  worse  among  her  guests, 

And  sends  the  nobler  man  unhonored  hence.”  163 
And  thus  the  prudent  Eurycleia  said  : 

“  My  child,  blame  not  thy  mother  ;  she  deserves 
No  blame.  The  stranger  sat  and  drank  his  wine, 
All  that  he  would,  and  said,  when  pressed  to  eat, 
That  he  desired  no  more.  And  when  he  thought  170 
Of  sleep,  she  bade  her,  maidens  spread  his  couch ; 
But  he  refused  a  bed  and  rugs,  like  one 
Inured  to  misery,  and  beneath  the  porch 
Slept  on  an  undressed  bull’s  hide  and  the  skins 
Of  sheep,  and  over  him  we  cast  a  cloak.”  175 

She  spake;  Telemachus,  his  spear  in  hand, 

Went  forth,  his  fleet  dogs  following  him.  He  sought 
The  council  where  the  well-greaved  Greeks  were 
met. 

Meantime  the  noble  Eurycleia,  child 
Of  Ops,  Pisenor’s  son,  bespake  the  maids  :  —  iso 
“  Come,  some  of  you,  at  once,  and  sweep  thefloor, 
And  sprinkle  it,  and  on  the  shapely  thrones 
Spread  coverings  of  purple  tapestry  ; 

Let  others  wipe  the  tables  with  a  sponge, 

And  cleanse  the  beakers  and  the  double  cups,  is* 
While  others  go  for  water  to  the  fount, 

And  bring  it  quickly,  for  not  long  to-day 
The  suitors  will  be  absent  from  these  halls. 

They  will  come  early  to  the  general  feast.” 

She  spake ;  the  handmaids  hearkened  and  obeyed, 


The  Odyssey. 


1 66 

And  twenty  went  to  the  dark  well  to  draw  191 

The  water,  while  the  others  busily 
Bestirred  themselves  about  the  house.  Then  came 
The  servants  of  the  chiefs,  and  set  themselves 
Neatly  to  cleave  the  wood.  Then  also  came  19s 
The  women  from  the  well.  The  swineherd  last 
Came  with  three  swine,  the  fattest  of  the  herd. 

In  that  fair  court  he  let  them  feed,  and  sought 
Ulysses,  greeting  him  with  courteous  words  :  — 

“  Hast  thou,  O  stranger,  found  among  these 
Greeks  200 

More  reverence  ?  Art  thou  still  their  mark  of  scorn  ?” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  thus  : 

“  O  that  the  gods,  Eumaeus,  would  avenge 
The  insolence  of  those  who  meditate 
Violent  deeds,  and  make  another’s  house  205 

Their  plotting-place,  and  feel  no  touch  of  shame  !  ” 
So  talked  they  with  each  other.  Now  appeared 
Melanthius,  keeper  of  the  goats.  He  brought 
Goats  for  the  suitors’  banquet ;  they  were  choice 
Beyond  all  others.  With  him  also  came  210 

Two  goatherds.  In  the  echoing  portico 
He  bound  his  goats.  He  saw  Ulysses  there, 

And  thus  accosted  him  with  railing  words  :  — 

“  Stranger,  art  thou  still  here,  the  palace  pest, 
And  begging  still,  and  wilt  thou  ne’er  depart  ?  215 

We  shall  not  end  this  quarrel,  I  perceive, 

Till  thou  hast  tried  the  flavor  of  my  fist. 

It  is  not  decent  to  be  begging  here 


Book  XX . 


167 


Continually ;  the  Greeks  have  other  feasts.” 

He  spake  ;  Ulysses  answered  not,  but  shook  22a 
His  head  in  silence,  planning  fearful  things. 

Philcetius  now,  a  master-herdsman,  came, 

And  for  the  banquet  of  the  suitors  led 
A  heifer  that  had  never  yeaned,  and  goats 
The  fatlings  of  the  flock  ;  they  came  across  22s 
The  ferry,  brought  by  those  whose  office  is 
To  bear  whoever  comes  from  shore  to  shore. 

He  bound  his  animals  in  the  sounding  porch, 

And  went  and,  standing  by  the  swineherd,  said  :  — 
“Who,  swineherd,  is  the  stranger  newly  come  230 
To  this  our  palace  ?  of  what  parents  born, 

And  of  what  race,  and  where  his  native  land  ? 
Unhappy  seemingly,  yet  like  a  king 
In  person.  Sorrowful  must  be  the  lot 
Of  men  who  wander  to  and  fro  on  earth,  23S 

When  even  to  kings  the  gods  appoint  distress.” 

He  spake,  and,  greeting  with  his  offered  hand 
Ulysses,  said  in  winged  words  aloud  :  — 

“  Stranger  and  father,  hail !  and  mayst  thou  yet 
Be  happy  in  the  years  to  come  at  least,  240 

Though  held  in  thrall  by  many  sorrows  now. 

Yet  thou,  All-father  Jove  !  art  most  austere 

Of  all  the  gods,  not  sparing  even  those 

Who  have  their  birth  from  thee,  but  bringing  them 

To  grief  and  pain.  The  sweat  is  on  my  brow  245 

When  I  behold  this  stranger,  and  my  eyes 

Are  filled  with  tears  when  to  my  mind  comes  back 


The  Odyssey. 


1 68 

The  image  of  Ulysses,  who  must  now, 

I  think,  be  wandering,  clothed  in  rags  like  thee, 
Among  the  abodes  of  men,  if  yet  indeed 
He  lives  and  sees  the  sweet  light  of  the  sun. 

But  if  that  he  be  dead,  and  in  the  abode 
Of  Pluto,  woe  is  me  for  his  dear  sake ! 

The  blameless  chief,  who  when  I  was  a  boy 
Gave  to  me,  in  the  Cephalenian  fields, 

The  charge  of  all  his  beeves ;  and  they  are  now 
Innumerable  ;  the  broad-fronted  race 
Of  cattle  never  would  have  multiplied 
So  largely  under  other  care  than  mine. 

Now  other  masters  bid  me  bring  my  beeves 
For  their  own  feasts.  They  little  heed  his  son, 
The  palace-heir ;  as  little  do  they  dread 
The  vengeance  of  the  gods  ;  they  long  to  share 
Among  them  the  possessions  of  the  king, 

So  many  years  unheard  from.  But  this  thought 
Comes  to  my  mind  again,  and  yet  again  : 

Wrong  were  it,  while  the  son  is  yet  alive, 

To  drive  the  cattle  to  a  foreign  land, 

Where  alien  men  inhabit ;  yet ’t  is  worse 
To  stay  and  tend  another’s  beeves,  and  bear 
This  spoil.  And  long  ago  would  I  have  fled 
To  some  large-minded  monarch,  since  this  waste 
Is  not  to  be  endured,  but  that  I  think 
Still  of  my  suffering  lord,  and  hope  that  yet 
He  may  return  and  drive  the  suitors  hence.’* 
Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answering,  said  : 


Book  XX.  1 6  9 

“  Herdsman,  since  thou  dost  seem  not  ill  inclined, 
Nor  yet  unwise,  and  I  perceive  in  thee 
A  well-discerning  mind,  I  therefore  say, 

And  pledge  my  solemn  oath,  — Jove,  first  of  gods, 
Be  witness,  and  this  hospitable  board  23i 

And  hearth  of  good  Ulysses,  which  has  here 
Received  me,  —  while  thou  art  within  these  halls 
Ulysses  will  assuredly  return, 

And,  if  thou  choose  to  look,  thine  eyes  shall  see  28s 
The  suitors  slain,  who  play  the  master  here.” 

And  thus  the  master  of  the  herds  rejoined  : 

“  Stranger,  may  Jupiter  make  good  thy  words  ! 
Then  shalt  thou  see  what  strength  is  in  my  arm.” 

Eumaeus  also  prayed  to  all  the  gods,  290 

That  now  the  wise  Ulysses  might  return. 

So  talked  they  with  each  other,  while  apart 
The  suitors  doomed  Telemachus  to  death, 

And  plotted  how  to  take  his  life.  Just  then 
A  bird  —  an  eagle  —  on  the  left  flew  by,  295 

High  up  ;  his  talons  held  a  timid  dove. 

And  then  Amphinomus  bespake  the  rest :  — 

“  O  friends,  this  plan  to  slay  Telemachus 
Must  fail.  And  now  repair  we  to  the  feast.” 

So  spake  Amphinomus,  and  to  his  words  3°° 
They  all  gave  heed,  and  hastened  to  the  halls 
Of  the  divine  Ulysses,  where  they  laid 
Their  cloaks  upon  the  benches  and  the  thrones, 
And  slaughtering  the  choice  sheep,  and  fading  goats, 
And  porkers,  and  a  heifer  from  the  herd,  305 

8 


VOL.  II. 


The  Odyssey. 


170 

Roasted  the  entrails,  and  distributed 
A  share  to  each.  Next  mingled  they  the  wine 
In  the  large  bowls.  The  swineherd  brought  a  cup 
To  every  one.  Philcetius,  chief  among 
The  servants,  gave  from  shapely  canisters  s" 

The  bread  to  each.  Melanthius  poured  the  wine. 
Then  putting  forth  their  hands,  they  all  partook 
The  ready  banquet.  With  a  wise  design, 
Telemachus  near  the  stone  threshold  placed 
Ulysses,  on  a  shabby  seat,  beside  31s 

A  little  table,  but  within  the  walls 
Of  that  strong-pillared  pile.  He  gave  him  there 
Part  of  the  entrails,  and  poured  out  for  him 
The  wine  into  a  cup  of  gold,  and  said  :  — 

“Sit  here,  and  drink  thy  wine  among  the  rest,  320 
And  from  the  insults  and  assaults  of  these 
It  shall  be  mine  to  guard  thee.  For  this  house 
Is  not  the  common  proj^erty  of  all ; 

Ulysses  first  acquired  it,  and  for  me — 

And  you,  ye  suitors,  keep  your  tongues  from 
taunts  3?s 

And  hands  from  force,  lest  there  be  wrath  and  strife.” 

He  spake  ;  the  suitors,  as  they  heard  him,  bit 
Their  pressed  lips,  wondering  at  Telemachus, 

Who  uttered  such  bold  words.  Antinoiis  then, 
Eupeithes’  son,  bespake  his  fellows  thus  :  —  33* 

“  Harsh  as  they  are,  let  us,  O  Greeks,  endure 
These  speeches  of  Telemachus.  He  makes 
High  threats,  but  had  Saturnian  Jove  allowed, 


Book  XX. 


171 


We  should,  ere  this,  and  in  these  very  halls, 

H  ave  quieted  our  loud-tongued  orator.”  33s 

So  spake  the  suitor,  but  Telemachus 
Heeded  him  not.  Then  through  the  city  came 
The  heralds  with  a  hallowed  hecatomb, 

Due  to  the  gods.  The  long-haired  people  thronged 
The  shady  grove  of  Phoebus,  archer-god.  340 

Now  when  the  flesh  was  roasted  and  was  drawn 
From  off  the  spits,  and  each  was  given  his  share, 
They  held  high  festival.  The  men  who  served 
The  banquet  gave  Ulysses,  where  he  sat, 

A  portion  equal  to  their  own,  for  so  343 

His  own  dear  son  Telemachus  enjoined. 

Yet  did  not  Pallas  cause  the  haughty  crew 
Of  suitors  to  refrain  from  stinging  taunts, 

That  so  the  spirit  of  Laertes’  son 

Might  be  more  deeply  wounded.  One  there  was  35° 

Among  the  suitors,  a  low-thoughted  wretch  ; 

Ctesippus  was  his  name,  and  his  abode 

Was  Samos.  Trusting  in  his  father’s  wealth, 

He  wooed  the  wife  of  the  long-absent  king 
Ulysses.  To  his  insolent  mates  he  said  : —  35s 

“  Hear  me,  ye  noble  suitors,  while  I  speak. 

This  stranger  has  received  an  equal  share, 

As  is  becoming  ;  for  it  were  not  just 
Nor  seemly  to  pass  by,  in  such  a  feast, 

The  guests,  whoe’er  they  may  be,  that  resort  360 
To  this  fair  mansion  of  Telemachus. 

I  also  will  bestow  on  him  a  gift 


172 


The  Odyssey. 


Of  hospitality,  and  he  in  turn 
May  give  it  to  the  keeper  of  the  bath, 

Or  any  other  of  the  menial  train  365 

That  serve  the  household  of  Ulysses  here.” 

So  speaking,  with  his  strong  right  hand  he  flung 
A  bullock’s  foot,  which  from  a  canister 
Hard  by  he  plucked.  Ulysses  gently  bowed 
His  head,  and  shunned  the  blow,  and  grimly  smiled. 
The  missile  struck  the  solid  wall,  and  then  371 

Telemachus  rebuked  the  suitor  thus  :  — 

“  Ctesippus,  well  hast  thou  escaped  with  life, 

Not  having  hit  the  stranger,  who  himself 
Shrank  from  the  blow ;  else  had  I  pinned  thee 
through  375 

With  my  sharp  spear.  Instead  of  wedding  feast, 
Thy  father  would  have  celebrated  here 
Thy  funeral  rites.  Let  no  man  in  these  halls 
Bear  himself  insolently  in  my  sight 
Hereafter,  for  my  reason  now  is  ripe  383 

To  know  the  right  from  wrong.  I  was  of  late 
A  child,  and  now  it  is  enough  to  bear 
That  ye  should  slay  our  sheep,  and  drink  our  wine, 
And  eat  our  bread,  —  for  what  can  one  man  do 
Against  so  many  ?  Cease  this  petty  war  383 

Of  wrong  and  hatred  ;  but  if  ye  desire 
To  take  my  life,  ’t  is  well ;  *t  were  better  so. 

And  rather  would  I  die  by  violence 

Than  live  to  see  these  most  unmanly  deeds,  — 

Guests  driven  away,  and  women-servants  hauled  390 


Book  XX. 


173 


Through  these  fair  rooms  by  brutal  wassailers.” 

He  ended,  and  the  assembly  all  sat  mute 
Till  Agelaiis  spake,  Damastor’s  son  :  — 

“O  friends  !  let  no  man  here  with  carping  words 
Gainsay  what  is  so  rightly  said,  nor  yet  395 

Insult  the  stranger  more,  nor  one  of  those 
Who  serve  the  household  of  the  godlike  chief 
Ulysses  in  his  palace.  I  would  say 
This  word  in  kindness  to  Telemachus 
And  to  his  mother;  may  it  please  them  both  !  400 

While  yet  the  hope  was  cherished  in  your  hearts 
That  wise  Ulysses  would  return,  no  blame 
Could  fasten  on  the  queen  that  she  remained 
Unwedded,  and  resisted  those  who  came 
To  woo  her  in  the  palace.  Better  so,  4°3 

Had  he  come  home  again.  Yet  now,  ’t  is  clear, 

He  comes  no  more.  Go  then,  Telemachus, 

And,  sitting  by  thy  mother,  bid  her  wed 
The  noblest  of  her  wooers,  and  the  one 
Who  brings  the  richest  gifts  ;  and  thou  possess  4ro 
Thy  father’s  wealth  in  peace,  and  eat  and  drink 
At  will,  while  she  shall  find  another  home.” 

And  thus  discreet  Telemachus  replied  : 

“  Nay,  Agelaiis,  for  I  swear  by  Jove, 

And  by  my  father’s  sufferings,  who  has  died,  41s 
Or  yet  is  wandering,  far  from  Ithaca, 

That  I  do  nothing  to  delay  the  choice 
And  marriage  of  my  mother.  I  consent 
That  she  become  the  wife  of  whom  she  list, 


174 


The  Odyssey. 


And  him  who  offers  most.  But  I  should  feel  420 
Great  shame  to  thrust  her  forth  against  her  will, 
And  with  un filial  speeches  ;  God  forbid  !  ” 

He  ended  here,  and  Pallas,  as  he  spake, 

To  inextinguishable  laughter  moved  424 

The  suitors.  There  they  sat  with  wandering  minds  ; 
They  swallowed  morsels  foul  with  blood  ;  their  eyes 
Were  filled  with  tears  ;  their  hearts  foreboded  woe. 
Then  spake  the  godlike  Theoclymenus  :  - — 

“  Unhappy  men  !  what  may  this  evil  be 
That  overtakes  you  ?  Every  brow  and  face  430 
And  each  one’s  lower  limbs  are  wrapped  in  night, 
And  moans  arise,  and  tears  are  on  your  cheeks. 

The  walls  and  all  the  graceful  cornices 
Between  the  pillars  are  bedropped  with  blood, 

The  portico  is  full,  these  halls  are  full  435 

Of  shadows,  hastening  down  to  Erebus 
Amid  the  gloom.  The  sun  is  blotted  out 
From  heaven,  and  fearful  darkness  covers  all.” 

He  spake,  and  loud  they  laughed.  Eurymachus, 
The  son  of  Polybus,  in  answer  said  :  —  44° 

“  The  stranger  prattles  idly ;  he  is  come 
From  some  far  land.  Conduct  him  through  the  door, 
Young  men,  and  send  him  to  the  market-place, 
Since  all  things  here  are  darkened  to  his  eyes.” 

Then  spake  the  godlike  Theoclymenus  :  445 

“  Eurymachus,  from  thee  I  ask  no  guide, 

For  I  have  eyes  and  ears,  and  two  good  feet, 

And  in  my  breast  a  mind  as  sound  as  they, 


Book  XX. 


175 


And  by  the  aid  of  these  I  mean  to  make 

My  way  without ;  for  clearly  I  perceive  450 

A  coming  evil,  which  no  suitor  here 

Will  yet  escape,  —  no  one  who,  in  these  halls 

Of  the  great  chief,  Ulysses,  treats  with  scorn 

His  fellow-man,  and  broods  o’er  guilty  plans.” 

He  spake,  and,  hastening  from  that  noble  pile,  45s 
Came  to  Piraeus,  in  whose  house  he  found 
A  welcome.  All  the  suitors,  as  he  went, 

Looked  at  each  other,  and,  the  more  to  vex 
Telemachus,  kept  laughing  at  his  guests. 

And  thus  an  insolent  youth  among  them  said  :  —  4fo 

“  No  man  had  ever  a  worse  set  of  guests 
Than  thou,  Telemachus.  For  what  a  wretch 
That  wandering  beggar  is,  who  always  wants 
His  bread  and  wine,  and  is  unfit  for  work, 

And  has  no  strength  ;  in  truth,  a  useless  load  465 
Upon  the  earth  he  treads.  The  other  guest 
Rises  to  play  the  prophet.  If  thou  take 
My  counsel,  which  I  give  thee  for  thy  good, 

Let  them  at  once  be  put  on  board  a  bark 
Of  many  oars,  and  we  will  send  them  hence  470 
To  the  Sicilians ;  they  will  bring  a  price.” 

So  talked  the  suitors,  but  he  heeded  not 
Their  words,  and,  looking  toward  his  father,  held 
His  peace,  expecting  when  he  would  lay  hands 
Upon  that  insolent  crew.  Penelope,  475 

Sage  daughter  of  Icarius,  took  her  place 
Right  opposite  upon  a  sumptuous  seat, 


176 


The  Odyssey. 


And  heard  the  words  of  every  man  who  spake 
Within  the  hall.  They  held  that  midday  feast 
With  laughter,  —  a  luxurious  feast  it  was,  480 

And  mirthful ;  many  victims  had  been  slain 
To  furnish  forth  the  tables  ;  but  no  feast 
Could  be  more  bitter  than  the  later  one, 

To  which  the  goddess  and  that  valiant  man 
Would  bid  the  guilty  crew  of  plotters  soon.  48s 


BOOK  XXI. 

PALLAS,  the  goddess  of  the  azure  eyes, 

Woke  in  the  mind  of  sage  Penelope, 

The  daughter  of  Icarius,  this  design,  — 

To  put  into  the  suitors’  hands  the  bow 

And  gray  steel  rings,  and  to  propose  a  game  5 

That  in  the  palace  was  to  usher  in 

The  slaughter.  So  she  climbed  the  lofty  stair, 

Up  from  the  hall,  and  took  in  her  plump  hand 
The  fair  carved  key  ;  its  wards  were  wrought  of  brass, 
And  ivory  was  the  handle.  Soon  she  reached  10 
The  furthest  room  with  her  attendant  maids. 

There  lay  the  treasures  of  Ulysses,  —  brass 
And  gold,  and  steel  divinely  wrought.  There  lay 
His  bow  unstrung  ;  there  lay  his  quiver  charged 
With  arrows ;  many  were  the  deadly  shafts  is 

It  held,  a  stranger’s  gift,  who  met  him  once 


Book  XXL 


1 77 


In  Lacedaemon,  Iphitus  by  name, 

The  son  of  Eurytus,  and  like  the  gods 
In  presence.  In  Messene  met  the  twain, 

And  in  the  mansion  of  Orsilochus,  » 

The  warlike.  Thither  had  Ulysses  come 
To  claim  a  debt  from  all  the  region  round; 

For  rovers  from  Messene  to  their  ships 
Had  driven  and  carried  off  from  Ithaca 
Three  hundred  sheep  and  those  who  tended  them.  =s 
For  this  Ulysses,  though  a  stripling  yet, 

Came  that  long  voyage,  on  an  embassy, 

Sent  by  his  father  and  the  other  chiefs. 

And  Iphitus  had  come  in  search  of  steeds 
Which  he  had  lost,  —  twelve  mares,  and  under  them 
Twelve  hardy  mules,  their  foals.  That  errand 
brought  v 

The  doom  of  death  upon  him.  For  he  came, 

In  journeying,  to  the  abode  of  Hercules, 

The  mighty  hero-son  of  Jupiter, 

Famed  for  his  labors,  who,  in  his  own  house,  35 
Slew  Iphitus,  the  stranger.  Cruel  wretch! 

Who  reverenced  not  the  vengeance  of  the  gods, 

Nor  what  was  due  to  his  own  board,  at  which 
He  placed  his  guest,  and  slew  him  afterward, 

And  in  his  stables  kept  the  goodly  mares.  40 

’T  was  when  this  guest  was  seeking  for  his  steeds 
He  met  Ulysses,  and  bestowed  on  him 
The  bow,  which  mighty  Eurytus  once  bore, 

And  dying  in  his  lofty  palace  left 
8* 


L 


1 78 


The  Odyssey. 


The  weapon  to  his  son.  Ulysses  gave  4s 

In  turn  a  trenchant  sword  and  massive  lance, 

A  pledge  of  kindly  hospitality, 

Begun,  but  not  continued  till  they  sat 

Each  at  the  other’s  table ;  for  the  son 

Of  Jove  first  took  the  life  of  him  who  gave  s> 

The  bow,  the  godlike  son  of  Eurytus. 

That  bow  Ulysses,  when  he  went  to  war 
In  his  black  galleys,  never  took  with  him, 

But  left  it  in  his  palace,  to  be  kept 

In  memory  of  a  beloved  friend,  ss 

And  only  bore  it  in  his  own  domain. 

Now  when  the  glorious  lady  reached  the  room, 
And  stood  upon  the  threshold,  wrought  of  oak 
And  polished  by  the  workman’s  cunning  hand, 

Who  stretched  the  line  upon  it,  and  set  up  60 

Its  posts,  and  hung  its  shining  doors,  she  loosed 
With  a  quick  touch  the  thong  that  held  the  ring, 
Put  in  the  key,  and  with  a  careful  aim 
Struck  back  the  sounding  bolts.  As  when  a  bull 
Roars  in  the  field,  such  sound  the  beautiful  doors, 
Struck  with  the  key,  gave  forth,  and  instantly  66 
They  opened  to  her.  Up  the  lofty  floor 
She  stepped,  where  stood  the  coffer  that  contained 
The  perfumed  garments.  Reaching  forth  her  hand, 
The  queen  took  down  the  bow,  that  hung  within  70 
Its  shining  case,  and  sat  her  down,  and  laid 
The  case  upon  her  knees,  and,  drawing  forth 
The  monarch’s  bow,  she  wept  aloud.  As  soon 


Book  XXL 


179 


As  that  new  gush  of  tears  had  ceased  to  fall, 

Back  to  the  hall  she  went,  and  that  proud  throng  7* 
Of  suitors,  bearing  in  her  hand  the  bow 
Unstrung,  and  quiver,  where  the  arrows  lay 
Many  and  deadly.  Her  attendant  maids 
Brought  also  down  a  coffer,  where  were  laid 
Much  brass  and  steel,  provided  by  the  king  80 
For  games  like  these.  The  glorious  lady  then, 

In  presence  of  the  suitors,  stood  beside 
The  columns  that  upheld  the  stately  roof. 

She  held  a  lustrous  veil  before  her  cheeks, 

And,  while  on  either  side  of  her  a  maid  s5 

Stood  modestly,  bespake  the  suitors  thus  :  — 

“  Hear,  noble  suitors  !  ye  who  throng  these  halls, 
And  eat  and  drink  from  day  to  day,  while  long 
My  husband  has  been  gone ;  your  sole  excuse 
For  all  this  lawlessness  the  claim  ye  make  9° 

That  I  become  a  bride.  Come  then,  for  now 
A  contest  is  proposed.  I  bring  to  you 
The  mighty  bow  that  great  Ulysses  bore. 

Whoe’er  among  you  he  may  be  whose  hand 
Shall  bend  this  bow,  and  send  through  these  twelve 
rings  95 

An  arrow,  him  I  follow  hence,  and  leave 
This  beautiful  abode  of  my  young  years, 

With  all  its  plenty,  —  though  its  memory, 

I  think,  will  haunt  me  even  in  my  dreams.” 

She  spake,  and  bade  the  master  of  the  swine, 

The  good  Eumaeus,  place  the  bow  and  rings 


IOO 


i8o 


The  Odyssey. 


Of  hoary  steel  before  the  suitor-train. 

In  tears  he  bore  the  bow  and  laid  it  down. 

The  herdsman  also  wept  to  see  again 

His  master’s  bow.  Antinoiis  called  to  both 

With  a  loud  voice,  and  chid  them  angrily  :  — 

“  Ye  silly  rustics,  who  can  never  see 
Beyond  the  hour,  why  trouble  with  your  tears 
The  lady  who  had  grief  enough  besides 
For  her  lost  husband  ?  Sit  and  share  the  feast 
In  silence,  or  go  forth  and  leave  the  bow; 

A  difficult  contest  it  will  be  for  us, 

Nor,  as  I  think,  will  this  fair  bow  be  bent 
With  ease,  since  surely  there  is  no  man  here 
Such  as  Ulysses  was.  I  saw  him  once, 

While  but  a  child,  and  still  remember  him.” 

He  spake,  yet  in  his  secret  heart  believed 
That  he  should  bend  the  bow,  and  send  a  shaft 
Through  all  the  rings.  And  yet  he  was  the  first 
To  taste  the  steel,  —  an  arrow  from  the  hand 
Of  the  great  chief  Ulysses,  — whom  he’  wronged 
In  his  own  palace,  and  to  equal  wrong 
Encouraged  others.  Then  Telemachus 
Rose  in  his  sacred  might,  and  thus  began  :  — 

“  Alas  !  it  must  be  that  Saturnian  Jove 
Has  made  me  lose  my  wits.  Wise  as  she  is, 

My  mother  promises  to  leave  her  home 
And  follow  some  one  else,  and  yet  I  laugh, 

And  am  delighted  in  my  foolish  heart. 

Come  then,  since  such  a  contest  is  proposed, 


Book  XXL 


1 8 1 


Ye  suitors!  and  for  such  a  woman  too. 

The  like  is  not  in  all  the  lands  of  Greece, 

Argos,  Mycenae,  or  the  hallowed  shore 
Of  Pylos,  or  in  Ithaca  itself, 

r 

Or  the  dark  mainland  coast.  Ye  know  it  well ;  13s 
Why  should  I  praise  my  mother?  Come  then,  all ; 
Let  there  be  no  excuses  for  delay, 

Nor  longer  leave  the  bow  untried,  that  we 
May  see  the  event.  I  too  am  moved  to  try ; 

And  if  I  bend  the  bow,  and  send  a  shaft  u° 

Through  all  the  rings,  my  gracious  mother  then 
Will  not,  to  my  great  grief,  renounce  her  home, 
And,  following  another,  leave  me  here, 

Although  my  prowess  even  now  might  win 
The  glorious  prizes  that  my  father  won.”  145 

He  spake  and,  rising,  from  his  shoulders  took 
The  purple  cloak,  and  laid  the  trenchant  sword 
Aside  ;  and  first  he  placed  the  rings  of  steel 
In  order,  opening  for  them  in  the  ground 
A  long  trench  by  a  line,  and  stamping  close  130 
The  earth  around  them.  All  admired  the  skill 
With  which  he  ranged  them,  never  having  seen 
The  game  before.  And  then  he  took  his  place 
Upon  the  threshold,  and  essayed  the  bow; 

And  thrice  he  made  the  attempt,  and  thrice  gave 
o’er,  155 

Yet  hoping  still  to  draw  the  cord,  and  send 
An  arrow  through  the  rings.  He  would  have  drawn 
The  bow  at  the  fourth  trial,  but  a  nod 


The  Odyssey. 


182 

Given  by  his  father  caused  him  to  forbear, 

Though  eager  for  the  attempt.  And  then  again  160 
The  princely  youth  bespake  the  suitors  thus :  — 

“  Well,  this  is  strange  !  I  may  hereafter  prove 
A  craven  and  a  weakling,  or  perchance 
Am  yet  too  young,  and  cannot  trust  my  arm 
To  do  me  right  against  the  man  who  first  105 

Assaults  me.  Come  then,  ye  whose  strength  excels 
My  own,  and  try  the  bow,  and  end  the  strife.” 

He  spake,  and  setting  down  the  bow  to  lean 
Against  the  firm  smooth  panels  of  the  wall, 

And  the  swift  shaft  against  the  bow’s  fair  curve,  17® 
He  took  again  his  seat  upon  the  throne 
From  which  he  rose.  And  then  Eupeithes’  son, 
Antinoiis,  to  the  crowd  of  suitors  said  :  — 

“  Rise  one  by  one,  my  friends,  from  right  to  left. 
Begin  where  he  begins  who  pours  the  wine.”  17s 
So  spake  Antinoiis,  and  the  rest  approved. 

Then  rose  Leiodes,  son  of  QEnops,  first. 

He  was  their  seer,  and  always  had  his  seat 
Beside  the  ample  bowl.  From  deeds  of  wrong 
He  shrank  with  hatred,  and  was  sore  incensed  *8o 
Against  the  suitors  all.  He  took  the  bow' 

And  shaft,  and,  going  to  the  threshold,  stood 
And  tried  the  bow,  yet  bent  it  not it  galled 
His  hands,  for  they  were  soft,  and  all  unused 
To  such  a  task  ;  and  thus  at  length  he  spake  iss 
“  O  friends,  I  bend  it  not ;  another  hand 
Must  try.  This  bow,  upon  this  very  spot, 


Book  XXL 


Will  take  from  many  a  prince  the  breath  of  life. 
And  better  were  it  thus  to  die,  by  far, 

Than,  living,  fail  of  that  intent  for  which  190 

We  haunt  this  place,  and  still  from  day  to  day 
Assemble.  There  is  many  a  one  whose  wish 
And  hope  are  strong  to  wed  Penelope, 

The  consort  of  Ulysses  ;  but  so  soon 

As  he  shall  see  and  try  the  hero’s  bow  195 

Let  him  with  marriage  presents  seek  to  gain 

Some  other  bride  among  the  long-robed  dames, 

Achaia’s  daughters.  Let  him  leave  the  queen 

To  wed  the  suitor  who  shall  bring  to  her 

The  richest  gifts,  and  him  whom  fate  appoints.”  200 

He  spake,  and  setting  down  the  bow  to  lean 
Against  the  firm  smooth  panels  of  the  wall, 

And  the  swift  shaft  against  the  bow’s  fair  curve, 

He  took  again  his  seat  upon  the  throne 
From  which  he  rose.  Antinoiis  then  took  up  205 
The  word  and  answered,  and  reproached  him 
thus  :  — 

“What  words  are  these,  Leiodes,  that  have  passed 
Thy  lips  ?  harsh  words  and  fearful,  —  that  this  bow 
Shall  take  from  many  princes  here  the  breath 
Of  life,  and  all  because  thou  hast  no  power  210 
To  bend  it  ?  Thy  good  mother  bore  thee  not 
To  draw  the  bow  and  send  the  arrow  forth, 

But  others  of  the  noble  suitor-train 
Are  here,  by  whom  this  bow  shall  yet  be  bent.” 

Then  to  Melanthius,  keeper  of  the  goats, 


215 


1 84 


The  Odyssey. 


Antinoiis  gave  this  bidding.  *£  Light  a  fire 
With  speed,  Melanthius,  in  the  palace  here, 

And  place  a  seat  before  it.  Lay  a  fleece 

Upon  the  seat,  and  bring  us  from  within 

An  ample  roll  of  fat,  that  we  young  men  220 

By  warming  and  anointing  may  make  soft 

The  bow,  and  draw  the  cord,  and  end  the  sn  ife.” 

He  spake  ;  Melanthius  kindled  instantly 
A  glowing  fire,  and  near  it  placed  a  seat, 

And  on  the  seat  a  fleece,  and  from  within  225 

Brought  forth  an  ample  roll  of  fat,  with  whir-n 
The  young  men,  having  warmed  it,  smeared  the  bow 
And  tried,  but  bent  it  not,  too  weak  by  far 
For  such  a  feat.  Antinoiis  kept  aloof, 

He  and  the  godlike  youth  Eurymachus,  23^ 

-Two  princes  who  in  might  excelled  the  rest. 

The  herdsman  of  Ulysses  meantime  left 
The  palace,  and  with  him  the  swineherd  went, 

And  after  them  Ulysses.  When  they  all 

Were  now  without  the  gate  and  palace  court,  235 

Ulysses  spake  to  them,  and  blandly  said:  — 

“  Herdsman  and  swineherd,  shall  I  say  to  you 
Somewhat,  or  shall  I  keep  it  back  ?  My  heart 
Moves  me  to  say  it.  Should  Ulysses  come, 

Led  by  some  god,  and  suddenly,  what  aid  2-> 

Would  he  receive  from  you  ?  Would  ye  take  part 
With  him,  or  with  the  suitors  ?  Frankly  speak  ; 
And  tell  me  what  your  hearts  would  bid  you  do.” 

Then  answered  thus  the  keeper  of  the  herds  : 


Book  XXL 


135 


“  O  Father  Jove  !  wouldst  thou  but  grant  my  wish, 
And  let  some  god  conduct  him  hither,  then  246 
Shall  it  be  seen  what  might  is  in  these  hands !  ” 

So  also  did  Eumaeus  offer  prayer 
To  all  the  deities,  that  speedily 
The  wise  Ulysses  might  return  ;  and  when  250 
The  chief  perceived  in  all  its  truth  the  thought 
And  purpose  of  their  hearts,  he  spake  and  said  :  — 
w  Know,  then,  that  I  myself  am  he,  at  home 
Again,  returning  in  the  twentieth  year, 

And  after  many  sufferings,  to  the  land  25S 

That  saw  my  birth.  I  know  that  I  am  come 
Welcome  to  you  alone  of  all  my  train 
Of  servants,  since  I  hear  no  others  pray 
For  my  return.  Hear,  then,  what  I  engage 
Shall  be  hereafter.  If  some  god  o’ercome  260 

For  me  these  arrogant  suitors,  I  will  give 
To  each  of  you  a  wife  and  lands,  and  build 
For  each  a  house  near  mine,  and  ye  shall  be 
The  friends  and  brothers  of  Telemachus 
Thenceforth.  And  now,  that  ye  may  surely  know 
And  trust  me,  I  will  show  a  token  here,  —  =66 

A  scar  which  once  the  white  tooth  of  a  boar 
Made,  when  long  since,  on  the  Parnassian  mount, 

I  hunted  with  Autolycus’s  sons.” 

Thus  having  said,  he  drew  from  the  broad  scar  270 
The  covering  rags  ;  they  looked  and  knew  it  well, 
And  wept,  and  round  Ulysses  threw  their  arms, 
And  kissed  in  that  embrace  the  hero’s  head 


The  Odyssey. 


1 86 

And  shoulders,  while  Ulysses  also  kissed 
Their  heads  and  hands.  The  sun  would  have  gone 
down  27s 

Upon  their  weeping,  but  for  him.  He  said  :  — 
“Cease  now  from  tears,  lest  some  one  from  the  hall 
Should  see  us,  and  report  of  us  within. 

Now  let  us  enter,  not  in  company,  — 

I  first,  and  ye  thereafter,  one  by  one, 

And  let  the  sign  be  this  :  the  others  all  — 

The  haughty  suitors  —  will  refuse  to  me 
The  bow  and  quiver.  When  thou  bearest  it, 

My  noble  friend  Eumaeus,  through  the  halls, 

Bring  it  and  place  it  in  my  hands,  and  charge  285 
The  women  to  make  fast  the  solid  doors; 

And  then  if  any  one  of  them  should  hear 

''O 

A  groan  or  other  noise  of  men  within, 

Let  her  not  issue  forth,  but  silently 

Pursue  her  task.  Meantime  be  it  thy  care,  290 

My  good  Philoetius,  with  a  key  to  lock 

The  portals  of  the  court  and  fix  the  chain.” 

Thus  having  said,  into  that  noble  pile 
He  passed  again,  and  took  the  seat  from  which 
He  lately  rose,  and  afterward,  in  turn,  295 

Entered  the  servants  of  the  godlike  chief. 

Eurymachus  was  busy  with  the  bow, 

Turning  and  warming  it  before  the  blaze 
On  both  its  sides.  He  could  not  bend  it  thus. 
There  came  a  deep  sigh  from  his  boastful  heart,  300 
And  greatly  was  he  vexed,  and  sadly  said  :  — 


Book  XXL 


187 


t(  Alas  !  great  cause  of  grief  indeed  is  here 
For  me  and  all.  ’T  is  not  that  I  lament 
So  much  the  losing  of  the  bride,  although 
That  also  vexes  me,  —  there  yet  remain  305 

Many  fair  ladies  of  the  Achaian  stock, 

Both  in  the  sea-girt  lands  of  Ithaca 

And  other  regions,  —  yet  if  we  be  found 

To  fall  in  strength  of  arm  so  far  below 

The  great  Ulysses  that  we  cannot  bend  310 

His  bow,  our  sons  will  hear  of  it  with  shame.” 

Eupeithes’  son,  Antinoiis,  answered  thus  : 

“  Not  so,  Eurymachus,  as  thou  thyself 
Shouldst  know.  This  day  is  held  a  solemn  feast 
Of  Phoebus  by  the  people.  Who  would  draw  315 
The  bow  to-day?  Nay,  lay  it  by  in  peace, 

And  suffer  all  the  rings  to  stand  as  now ; 

For  no  man,  as  I  think,  will  dare  to  come 

Into  the  palace  of  Laertes’  son 

And  take  them  hence.  Let  him  who  bears  the  cup 

Begin  to  serve  the  wine,  that,  having  poured  321 

Part  to  the  gods,  we  may  lay  down  the  bow, 

And  with  the  morning  let  Melanthius  come,  — 

The  goatherd,  —  bringing  with  him  from  the  flock 
The  choicest  goats,  that  we  may  burn  the  thighs,  325 
An  offering  to  the  god  of  archery, 

Apollo.  Then  will  we  again  essay 
The  bow,  and  bring  the  contest  to  an  end.” 

So  spake  Antinoiis,  and  they  all  approved. 

Then  heralds  came,  and  on  the  suitors’  hands 


330 


1 88 


The  Odyssey. 


Poured  water  ;  youths  filled  up  the  cups  with  wine, 
Beginning  at  the  right,  and  gave  to  each 
His  share ;  and  when  they  all  had  poured  a  part, 
And  each  had  drunk,  the  shrewd  Ulysses  thus 
With  artful  speech  bespake  the  suitor-train  : —  33s 

“  Hearken,  ye  suitors  of  the  illustrious  queen, 

To  what  my  heart  is  prompting  me  to  say; 

But  chiefly  to  Eurymachus  I  make 
My  suit,  and  to  Antinoiis,  who  so  well 
Hath  counselled  to  lay  by  the  bow  and  trust  340 
The  gods.  To-morrow  Phoebus  will  bestow 
The  needed  strength  on  whomsoe’er  he  will; 

But  let  me  take  that  polished  bow,  and  try 
Among  you,  whether  still  the  power  that  dwelt 
In  these  once  pliant  limbs  abides  in  them,  34s 

Or  whether  happily  it  has  passed  from  me 
Amid  my  wanderings  and  a  life  of  want.” 

He  spake,  and  all  were  vehemently  moved 
With  anger,  for  they  feared  that  he  would  bend 
The  bow,  and  thus  Antinoiis,  railing,  spake  :  —  350 

“  Thou  worthless  vagabond,  without  a  spark 
Of  reason,  art  thou  not  content  to  sit 
And  banquet  with  the  proudest,  where  no  part 
Of  all  the  feast  escapes  thee,  hearing  all 
That  we  are  saying,  which  no  other  man,  33s 

Stranger  and  beggar,  is  allowed  to  hear  ! 

This  good  wine  makes  thee  foolish,  as  wine  oft 
Makes  those  who  swallow  it  too  greedily, 

And  drink  not  with  due  stint.  It  maddened  once 


Book  XXL 


189 


Eurytion,  the  famed  Centaur,  in  the  halls  360 

Of  the  large-souled  Pirithoiis.  He  had  come 
Among  the  Lapithae,  and  when  inflamed 
With  wine  to  madness,  in  those  very  halls 
Did  lawless  deeds.  The  heroes  were  incensed. 
They  rushed  upon  him,  dragged  him  through  the 
porch  365 

And  out  of  doors,  and  there  cut  off  his  nose 
And  ears,  and  he  departed,  frenzied  still, 

Land  bearing  in  bewilderment  of  mind 
His  punishment,  whence  war  arose  between 
Centaurs  and  men  ;  yet  surely  he  had  brought  370 
The  evil  on  himself,  when  overcome 
With  wine.  Such  fearful  mischief  I  foretell 
Will  light  on  thee,  if  thou  shouldst  bend  this  bow, 
Nor  canst  thou  hope  for  favor  here  among 
The  people.  We  will  send  thee  speedily,  375 

In  a  black  galley,  to  King  Echetus, 

The  enemy  of  human  kind,  from  whom 

Thou  shalt  find  no  escape.  Drink,  then,  in  peace 

Thy  wine,  and  seek  no  strife  with  younger  men.” 

Then  spake  the  sage  Penelope  again :  380 

“Truly,  Antinoiis,  it  becomes  thee  not, 

Nor  is  it  just,  to  vex  the  stranger  guests 
Who  seek  the  palace  of  Telemachus. 

Dost  thou,  then,  think  that,  should  this  stranger 
bend, 

Proud  as  he  is  of  his  great  strength  of  arm,  385 
The  mighty  bow  that  once  Ulysses  bore, 


190 


The  Odyssey . 


He  leads  me  hence  a  bride  ?  No  hope  of  that 
Is  in  his  heart,  and  let  no  one  of  you 
Who  banquet  here  allow  a  thought  like  that 
To  vex  him ;  ’t  is  a  thing  that  cannot  be.”  390 

Then  to  the  queen,  Eurymachus,  the  son 
Of  Polybus,  replied  :  “  We  do  not  fear, 

Sage  daughter  of  Icarius,  that  this  man 
Will  lead  thee  hence  a  bride  ;  it  cannot  be. 

AVe  fear  the  speech  of  men  and  women  both.  39s 
The  very  meanest  of  the  Achaian  race 
AAhll  say  :  ‘  Degenerate  men  are  these,  who  seek 
To  wed  the  consort  of  a  glorious  chief, 

Not  one  of  whom  can  draw  the  bow  he  bore  ; 

And  now  there  comes  a  wandering  beggar-man,  400 
Who  draws  the  bow  with  ease,  and  sends  a  shaft 
Through  all  the  rings  of  steel.’  Thus  will  they  speak, 
And  this  will  be  to  us  a  cause  of  shame  !  ” 

And  then  the  sage  Penelope  rejoined  : 

“  Eurymachus,  it  cannot  be  that  those  40s 

Should  earn  the  general  praise  who  make  the  wealth 
Of  a  most  worthy  man  their  spoil,  and  bring 
Dishonor  on  his  house.  The  stranger’s  frame 
Is  powerful  and  well  knit ;  he  claims  to  be 
Of  noble  parentage.  Now  let  him  take  410 

The  bow,  and  we  will  see  the  event ;  but  this 
I  promise,  and  will  make  my  promise  good, 

If  he  should  bend  it,  —  if  Apollo  give 
To  him  that  glory,  —  he  shall  have  from  me 
A  tunic  and  a  cloak,  fair  garments  both, 


415 


Book  XXL 


1 91 

And  a  keen  javelin,  his  defence  against 
Both  dogs  and  men,  a  two-edged  sword  besides, 
And  sandals  for  his  feet,  and  I  engage 
To  send  him  whither  he  desires  to  go.” 

Then  spake  discreet  Telemachus  again  :  42c 

“  Mother,  in  all  Achaia  there  is  none 
Who  has  more  power  than  I  can  claim,  to  grant 
Or  to  deny  the  bow  to  whom  I  will. 

No  one  of  those  who  rule  the  rugged  coast 
Of  Ithaca,  or  isles  where  Elis  breeds  425 

Her  mares,  may  interpose  to  thwart  my  will, 

If  on  the  stranger  I  bestow  the  bow 
To  be  his  own,  and  bid  him  take  it  hence. 
Withdraw,  O  queen,  into  thy  bower ;  direct 
Thy  household  tasks,  the  distaff  and  the  web,  430 
And  bid  thy  maidens  speed  the  work.  The  bow 
Belongs  to  men,  and  most  to  me ;  for  here, 

Within  these  walls,  the  authority  is  mine.” 

The  queen,  astonished,  heard  him  and  withdrew, 
But  kept  her  son’s  wise  sayings  in  her  heart.  43s 
And  then  ascending  to  her  bower,  among 
Her  maids,  she  wept  her  well-beloved  lord, 

Ulysses,  till  the  blue-eyed  Pallas  came, 

And  poured  upon  her  lids  the  balm  of  sleep. 

Meantime  the  worthy  swineherd  bore  the  bow  440 
In  hand,  and  all  along  the  palace-halls 
The  suitor-crew  were  chiding  him  aloud, 

And  thus  an  insolent  youth  among  them  spake  :  — 
“Thou  awkward  swineherd,  whither  goest  thou 


1 92  The  Odyssey , 

With  the  curved  bow  ?  Thy  own  fleet  dogs  which 

thOU  445 

Hast  reared  shall  soon  devour  thee,  far  from  men 
And  midst  thy  herds  of  swine,  if  we  find  grace 
With  Phoebus  and  the  other  deathless  gods.” 

Such  were  their  words ;  the  swineherd  where  he 
stood 

Set  down  the  bow  in  fear,  for  many  a  voice  43® 
Called  to  him  in  the  hall.  On  the  other  side 
Shouted  Telemachus  with  threatening  words  :  — 

“  Nay,  father,  carry  on  the  bow,  nor  think 
To  stop  at  every  man’s  command  ;  lest  I, 

Though  younger  than  thyself,  cast  stones  at  thee,  435 
And  chase  thee  to  the  fields,  for  I  in  strength 
Excel  thee.  Would  that  I  excelled  as  far 
In  strength  of  arm  the  suitors  in  these  halls, 

Then  would  I  roughly  through  the  palace-gates 
Drive  many  who  are  plotting  mischief  now.”  46c 
He  spake,  and  all  with  hearty  laughter  heard 
His  words,  and  for  their  sake  allowed  their  wrath 
Against  the  prince  to  cool.  The  swineherd  went 
Forward,  along  the  hall,  and,  drawing  near 
The  wise  Ulysses,  gave  into  his  hands  465 

The  bow ;  and  then  he  called  the  nurse  aside, 
Dame  Eurycleia,  and  bespake  her  thus :  — 

“  Sage  Eurycleia,  from  Telemachus 
I  charge  thee  to  make  fast  the  solid  doors, 

And  then,  if  any  of  the  maids  should  hear  470 

A  groan  or  other  noise  of  men  within, 


Book  XXL 


193 


Let  her  not  issue  forth,  but  silently 
Pursue  the  task  in  hand,  and  keep  her  place.” 

He  spake,  nor  were  his  words  in  vain.  The  dame 
Made  fast  the  doors  of  that  magnificent  hall,  47s 
While  silently  Philcetius  hastened  forth 
And  locked  the  portals  of  the  high-walled  court. 

A  cable  of  the  bark  of  Byblos  lay 
Beneath  the  portico,  —  it  once  had  served 
A  galley,  —  and  with  this  the  herdsman  tied  480 
The  portals,  and,  returning,  took  the  seat 
Whence  he  had  risen,  but  ever  kept  his  eye 
Fixed  on  his  lord.  Ulysses,  meantime,  held 
The  bow,  and,  turning  it,  intently  eyed 
Side  after  side,  and  tried  each  part  in  turn,  48s 
For  fear  that  worms,  while  he  was  far  away, 

Had  pierced  the  horn.  At  this,  a  youth  among 
The  suitors,  turning  to  his  neighbor,  said :  — 

“  Lo  an  inspector  and  a  judge  of  bows ! 

Perhaps  he  has  a  bow  like  that  at  home,  430 

Or  else  would  make  one  like  it.  How  he  shifts 
The  thing  with  busy  hands  from  side  to  side,  — 
The  vagabond,  well  trained  in  knavish  tricks  !  ” 
Then  also  said  another  insolent  youth  : 

“  May  he  in  all  things  be  as  fortunate  495 

As  now,  when  he  shall  try  to  bend  that  bow !  ” 

Such  was  their  talk ;  but  when  the  wary  chief 
Had  poised  and  shrewdly  scanned  the  mighty  bow, 
Then,  as  a  singer,  skilled  to  play  the  harp, 

Stretches  with  ease  on  its  new  fastenings  500 

9 


VOL.  II. 


M 


194 


The  Odyssey. 


A  string,  the  twisted  entrails  of  a  sheep, 

Made  fast  at  either  end,  so  easily 
Ulysses  bent  that  mighty  bow.  He  took 
And  drew  the  cord  with  his  right  hand  ;  it  twanged 
With  a  clear  sound  as  when  a  swallow  screams.  505 
The  suitors  were  dismayed,  and  all  grew  pale. 

Jove  in  loud  thunder  gave  a  sign  from  heaven. 

The  much-enduring  chief,  Ulysses,  heard 

With  joy  the  friendly  omen,  which  the  son 

Of  crafty  Saturn  sent  him.  He  took  up  510 

A  winged  arrow,  that  before  him  lay 

Upon  a  table,  drawn  •  the  others  still 

Were  in  the  quiver’s  womb  ;  the  Greeks  were  yet 

To  feel  them.  This  he  set  with  care  against 

The  middle  of  the  bow,  and  toward  him  drew  515 

'-O. 

The  cord  and  arrow-notch,  just  where  he  sat, 

And,  aiming  opposite,  let  fly  the  shaft. 

He  missed  no  ring  of  all ;  from  first  to  last 
The  brass-tipped  arrow  threaded  every  one. 

Then  to  Telemachus  Ulysses  said  : —  s» 

“  Telemachus,  the  stranger  sitting  here 
Hath  not  disgraced  thee.  I  have  neither  missed 
The  rings,  nor  found  it  hard  to  bend  the  bow ; 

Nor  has  my  manly  strength  decayed,  as  these 
Who  seek  to  bring  me  to  contempt  pretend ;  525 

And  now  the  hour  is  come  when  we  prepare 
A  supper  for  the  Achaians,  while  the  day 
Yet  lasts,  and  after  supper  the  delights 
Of  song  and  harp,  which  nobly  grace  a  feast.” 


Book  XX IT. 


195 


He  spake,  and  nodded  to  Telemachus, 


His  well-beloved  son,  who  girded  on 
His  trenchant  sword,  and  took  in  hand  his  spear, 
And,  armed  with  glittering  brass  for  battle,  came 
And  took  his  station  by  his  father’s  seat. 


BOOK  XXII. 


HEN  did  Ulysses  cast  his  rags  aside, 


X  And,  leaping  to  the  threshold,  took  his  stand 
On  its  broad  space,  with  bow  and  quiver  filled 
With  arrows.  At  his  feet  the  hero  poured 
The  winged  shafts,  and  to  the  suitors  called  :  —  5 

“That  difficult  strife  is  ended.  Now  I  take 
Another  mark,  which  no  man  yet  has  hit. 

Now  shall  I  see  if  I  attain  my  aim, 

And,  by  the  aid  of  Phoebus,  win  renown.” 

He  spake ;  and,  turning,  at  Antinoiis  aimed  10 
The  bitter  shaft,  —  Antinoiis,  who  just  then 
Had  grasped  a  beautiful  two-eared  cup  of  gold, 
About  to  drink  the  wine.  He  little  thought 
Of  wounds  and  death  ;  for  who,  when  banqueting 
Among  his  fellows,  could  suspect  that  one  *s 

Alone  against  so  many  men  would  dare, 

However  bold,  to  plan  his  death,  and  bring 
On  him  the  doom  of  fate  ?  Ulysses  struck 
The  suitor  with  the  arrow  at  the  throat. 


ig6 


The  Odyssey. 


The  point  came  through  the  tender  neck  behind,  20 
Sideways  he  sank  to  earth  ;  his  hand  let  fall 
The  cup ;  the  dark  blood  in  a  thick  warm  stream 
Gushed  from  the  nostrils  of  the  smitten  man. 

He  spurned  the  table  with  his  feet,  and  spilled 
The  viands ;  bread  and  roasted  meats  were  flung  25 
To  lie  polluted  on  the  floor.  Then  rose 
The  suitors  in  a  tumult,  when  they  saw 
The  fallen  man  ;  from  all  their  seats  they  rose 
Throughout  the  hall,  and  to  the  massive  walls 
Looked  eagerly ;  there  hung  no  buckler  there,  30 
No  sturdy  lance  for  them  to  wield.  They  called 
Thus  to  Ulysses  with  indignant  words:  — 

“  Stranger !  in  evil  hour  hast  thou  presumed 
To  aim  at  men  ;  and  thou  shalt  henceforth  bear 
Part  in  no  other  contest.  Even  now  33 

Is  thy  destruction  close  to  thee.  Thy  hand 
Hath  slain  the  noblest  youth  in  Ithaca. 

The  vultures  shall  devour  thy  flesh  for  this.” 

So  each  one  said  ;  they  deemed  he  had  not  slain 
The  suitor  wittingly  ;  nor  did  they  see,  40 

Blind  that  they  were,  the  doom  which  in  that  hour 
Was  closing  round  them  all.  Then  with  a  frown 
The  wise  Ulysses  looked  on  them,  and  said:  — 

“  Dogs  !  ye  had  thought  I  never  would  come  back 
From  Ilium’s  coast,  and  therefore  ye  devoured  43 
My  substance  here,  and  offered  violence 
To  my  maid -servants,  and  pursued  my  wife 
As  lovers,  while  I  lived.  Ye  dreaded  not 


Book  XXII ; 


197 


The  gods  who  dwell  in  the  great  heaven,  nor  feared 
Vengeance  hereafter  from  the  hands  of  men  ;  50 

And  now  destruction  overhangs  you  all.” 

He  spake,  and  all  were  pale  with  fear,  and  each 
Looked  round  for  some  escape  from  death.  Alone 
Eurymachus  found  voice,  and  answered  thus  :  — 

“  If  thou  indeed  be  he,  the  Ithacan  55 

Ulysses,  now  returned  to  thine  old  home, 

Well  hast  thou  spoken  of  the  many  wrongs 
Done  to  thee  by  the  Achaians  in  thy  house 
And  in  thy  fields.  But  there  the  man  lies  slain 
Who  was  the  cause  of  all.  Antinoiis  first  60 

Began  this  course  of  wrong.  Nor  were  his  thoughts 
So  much  of  marriage  as  another  aim,  — 

Which  Saturn’s  son  denied  him,  —  to  bear  rule 
Himself  o’er  those  who  till  the  pleasant  fields 
Of  Ithaca,  first  having  slain  thy  son  es 

In  ambush.  But  he  now  has  met  his  fate. 

Spare,  then,  thy  people.  We  will  afterward 
Make  due  amends  in  public  for  the  waste 
Here  in  thy  palace  of  the  food  and  wine. 

For  each  of  us  shall  bring  thee  twenty  beeves,  70 
And  brass  and  gold,  until  thy  heart  shall  be 
Content.  Till  then  we  cannot  blame  thy  wrath.” 

Sternly  the  wise  Ulysses  frowned,  and  said  : 

“  Eurymachus,  if  thou  shouldst  offer  me 

All  that  thou  hast,  thy  father's  wealth  entire,  75 

And  add  yet  other  gifts,  not  even  then 

Would  I  refrain  from  bloodshed,  ere  my  hand 


198 


The  Odyssey . 


Avenged  my  wrongs  upon  the  suitor-crew. 

Choose  then  to  fight  or  flee,  whoever  hopes 
Escape  from  death  and  fate  ;  yet  none  of  you  sa 
Will  now,  I  think,  avoid  that  bitter  doom.” 

He  spake.  At  once  their  knees  and  head  grew 
faint, 

And  thus  Eurymachus  bespake  the  rest :  — 

“  This  man,  O  friends,  to  his  untamable  arm 
Will  give  no  rest,  but  with  that  bow  in  hand,  s3 
And  quiver,  will  send  forth  from  where  he  stands 
His  shafts,  till  he  has  slain  us  all.  Prepare 
For  combat  then,  and  draw  your  swords,  and  hold 
The  tables  up  against  his  deadly  shafts, 

And  rush  together  at  him  as  one  man,  9° 

And  drive  him  from  the  threshold  through  the  door. 
Then,  hurrying  through  the  city,  let  us  sound 
The  alarm,  and  soon  he  will  have  shot  his  last.” 

He  spake,  and,  drawing  his  keen  two-edged  sword 
Of  brass,  sprang  toward  him  with  a  dreadful  cry,  95 
Just  as  the  great  Ulysses,  sending  forth 
An  arrow,  smote  the  suitor  on  the  breast, 

Beside  the  nipple.  The  swift  weapon  stood 
Fixed  in  his  liver;  to  the  ground  he  flung 
The  sword,  and,  reeling  giddily  around  100 

The  table,  fell ;  he  brought  with  him  to  earth 
The  viands  and  the  double  cup,  and  smote 
The  pavement  with  his  forehead  heavily, 

And  in  great  agony.  With  both  his  feet 
He  struck  and  shook  his  throne,  and  darkness  came 


Book  XXII. 


199 


Over  his  eyes.  Then  rushed  Amphinomus  106 
Against  the  glorious  chief,  and  drew  his  sword 
To  thrust  him  from  the  door.  Telemachus 
O’ertook  him,  and  between  his  shoulders  drove 
A  brazen  lance.  Right  through  his  breast  it  went,  no 
And  he  fell  headlong,  with  his  forehead  dashed 
Against  the  floor.  Telemachus  drew  back, 

And  left  his  long  spear  in  Amphinomus, 

Lest,  while  he  drew  it  forth,  some  one  among 
The  Achaians  might  attack  him  with  the  sword,  ns 
And  thrust  him  through  or  hew  him  down.  In  haste 
He  reached  his  father’s  side,  and  quickly  said  :  — 

“  Now,  father,  will  I  bring  to  thee  a  shield, 

Two  javelins,  and  a  helmet  wrought  of  brass, 

Well  fitted  to  the  temples.  I  will  case  no 

Myself  in  armor,  and  will  also  give 
Arms  to  the  swineherd,  and  to  him  who  tends 
The  beeves ;  for  men  in  armor  combat  best.” 

And  wise  Ulysses  answered  :  “  Bring  them  then, 
And  quickly,  while  I  yet  have  arrows  here  ns 

For  my  defence,  lest,  when  I  am  alone, 

They  drive  me  from  my  station  at  the  door.” 

He  spake.  Obedient  to  his  father’s  word, 
Telemachus  was  soon  within  the  room 
In  which  the  glorious  arms  were  laid.  He  took  130 
Four  bucklers  thence,  eight  spears,  and  helmets  four 
Of  brass,  each  darkened  with  its  horsehair  crest, 
And  bore  them  forth,  and  quickly  stood  again 
Beside  his  father.  But  he  first  encased 


200 


The  Odyssey. 


His  limbs  in  brass  ;  bis  followers  also  put  13s 

Their  shining  armor  on,  and  took  their  place 
Beside  the  wise  Ulysses,  eminent 
In  shrewd  devices.  He,  while  arrows  yet 
Were  ready  to  his  hand,  with  every  aim 
Brought  down  a  suitor  ;  side  by  side  they  fell.  no 
But  when  the  shafts  were  spent,  the  archer-king 
Leaned  his  good  bow  beside  the  shining  wall, 
Against  a  pillar  of  the  massive  pile, 

And  round  his  shoulders  slung  a  fourfold  shield, 
And  crowned  his  martial  forehead  with  a  helm  145 
Wrought  fairly,  with  a  heavy  horsehair  crest 
That  nodded  gallantly  above,  and  took 
In  hand  the  two  stout  lances  tipped  with  brass. 

In  the  strong  wall  there  was  a  postern  door, 

And,  near  the  outer  threshold  of  the  pile,  no 

A  passage  from  it  to  a  narrow  lane, 

Closed  with  well-fitting  doors.  Ulysses  bade 
The  noble  swineherd  take  his  station  there. 

And  guard  it  well,  as  now  the  only  way 
Of  entrance.  Agelaiis  called  aloud  135 

To  all  his  fellows,  and  bespake  them  thus  :  — 

“  Friends  !  will  no  one  among  you  all  go  up 
To  yonder  postern  door,  and  make  our  plight 
Known  to  the  people  ?  Then  the  alarm  would 
spread, 

And  this  man  haply  will  have  shot  his  last.”  160 
Melanthius,  keeper  of  the  goats,  replied : 

“  Nay,  noble  Agelaiis  ;  ’t  is  too  near 


Book  XXII. 


201 


The  palace  gate  ;  the  entrance  of  the  lane 
Is  narrow,  and  a  single  man,  if  brave, 

Against  us  all  might  hold  it.  I  will  bring  165 

Arms  from  the  chamber  to  equip  you  all ; 

For  there  within,  and  nowhere  else,  I  deem, 
Ulysses  and  his  son  laid  up  their  arms.” 

Thus  having  said,  the  keeper  of  the  goats, 
Melanthius,  climbed  the  palace  stairs,  and  gained  17° 
The  chamber  of  Ulysses.  Taking  thence 
Twelve  shields,  as  many  spears,  as  many  helms 
Of  brass,  with  each  its  heavy  horsehair  plume, 

He  came,  and  gave  them  to  the  suitors’  hands. 
Then  sank  the  hero’s  heart,  and  his  knees  shook  175 
As  he  beheld  the  suitors  putting  on 
Their  armor,  and  uplifting  their  long  spears. 

The  mighty  task  appalled  him,  and  he  thus 
Bespake  Telemachus  with  winged  words  :  — 

“  Telemachus,  some  woman  here,  or  else  180 
Melanthius,  makes  the  battle  hard  for  us.” 

And  thus  discreet  Telemachus  replied  : 

“Father,  I  erred  in  this.  I  was  the  cause, 

And  no  one  else  ;  I  left  the  solid  door 

Ajar;  the  spy  was  shrewder  far  than  I.  185 

Now,  good  Eumaeus,  shut  the  chamber  door, 

And  see  if  any  of  the  palace-maids 
Have  brought  these  arms,  or  if  I  rightly  fix 
The  guilt  upon  Melanthius,  Dolius’  son.” 

So  talked  they  with  each  other,  while  again  190 
Melanthius,  stealing  toward  the  chamber,  thought 
9  * 


202 


The  Odyssey. 


To  bring  yet  other  shining  weapons  thence. 

The  noble  swineherd  marked  him  as  he  went, 

And  quickly  drawing  near  Ulysses  said  :  — 

“  Son  of  Laertes  !  nobly  born  and  wise  !  195 

The  knave  whom  we  suspect  is  on  his  way 
Up  to  thy  chamber.  Tell  me  now,  I  pray, 

And  plainly,  shall  I  make  an  end  of  him, 

If  I  may  prove  the  stronger  man,  or  bring 
The  wretch  into  thy  presence,  to  endure  200 

.  The  vengeance  due  to  all  the  iniquities 
Plotted  by  him  against  thee  in  these  halls?” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  thus  : 

“  Telemachus  and  I  will  keep  at  bay 
The  suitors  in  this  place,  however  fierce  205 

Their  onset,  while  ye  two  bind  fast  his  hands 
And  feet  behind  his  back,  and  bringing  him 
Into  the  chamber,  with  the  door  made  fast 
Behind  you,  tie  him  with  a  double  cord, 

And  draw  him  up  a  lofty  pillar  close  210 

To  the  timbers  of  the  roof,  that,  swinging  there, 

He  may  live  long  and  suffer  grievous  pain.” 

He  spake  ;  they  hearkened  and  obeyed,  and  went 
Up  to  the  chamber  unperceived  by  him 
Who  stood  within  and  searched  a  nook  for  arms.  215 
On  each  side  of  the  entrance,  by  its  posts, 

They  waited  for  Melanthius.  Soon  appeared 
The  goatherd  at  the  threshold  of  the  room, 

Bearing  a  beautiful  helmet  in  one  hand, 

And  in  the  other  a  broad  ancient  shield, 


22a 


Book  XXII. 


203 


Defaced  by  age  and  mould.  Laertes  once, 

The  hero,  bore  it  when  a  youth,  but  now 
Long  time  it  lay  unused,  with  gaping  seams. 

They  sprang  and  seized  the  goatherd,  dragging 
him 

Back  to  the  chamber  by  the  hair ;  and  there  225 
They  cast  him,  in  an  agony  of  fear, 

Upon  the  floor,  and  bound  his  hands  and  feet 
With  a  stout  cord  behind  his  back,  as  bade 
The  great  Ulysses,  much-enduring  son 
Of  old  Laertes.  Round  him  then  they  looped  230 
A  double  cord,  and  swung  him  up  beside 
A  lofty  pillar,  till  they  brought  him  near 
The  timbers  of  the  roof.  And  then  didst  thou, 
Eumaeus,  say  to  him  in  jeering  words  :  — 

“  Melanthius,  there  mayst  thou  keep  watch  all 
night  23s 

On  a  soft  bed,  a  fitting  place  for  thee ; 

And  when  the  Mother  of  the  Dawn  shall  come 
Upon  her  golden  seat  from  ocean’s  streams, 

Thou  wilt  not  fail  to  see  her.  Thou  mayst  then 
Drive  thy  goats  hither  for  the  suitors’  feast.”  240 
They  left  him  in  that  painful  plight,  and  put 
Their  armor  on,  and  closed  the  shining  door, 

And  went,  and  by  Ulysses,  versed  in  wiles, 

Stood  breathing  valor.  Four  were  they  who  stood 
Upon  that  threshold,  while  their  foes  within  245 
Were  many  and  brave.  Then  Pallas,  child  of  Jove, 
Drew  near,  like  Mentor  both  in  shape  and  voice. 


204 


The  Odyssey. 


Ulysses  saw  her,  and  rejoiced  and  said  :  — 

“  Come,  Mentor,  to  the  aid  of  one  who  loves 
And  has  befriended  thee,  thy  peer  in  age.” 

Thus  said  Ulysses,  but  believed  he  spake 
To  Pallas,  scatterer  of  hosts.  Fierce  shouts 
Came  from  the  suitors  in  the  hall,  and  first, 
Thus  Agelaiis  railed,  Damastor’s  son  :  — 

“  Mentor,  let  not  Ulysses  wheedle  thee 
Toj  oin  him,  and  make  war  on  us,  for  this 
Our  purpose  is,  and  it  will  be  fulfilled  : 

When  by  our  hands  the  father  and  the  son 
Are  slain,  thou  also  shalt  be  put  to  death 
For  this  attempt,  and  thy  own  head  shall  be 
The  forfeit.  When  we  shall  have  taken  thus 
Thy  life  with  our  good  weapons,  we  will  seize 
On  all  thou  hast,  on  all  thy  wealth  within 
Thy  dwelling  or  without,  and,  mingling  it 
With  the  possessions  of  Ulysses,  leave 
Within  thy  palaces  no  son  of  thine 
Or  daughter  living,  and  no  virtuous  wife 
Of  thine,  abiding  here  in  Ithaca.” 

He  spake,  and  woke  new  anger  in  the  heart 
Of  Pallas,  and  she  chid  Ulysses  thus  :  — 

“  Ulysses,  thou  art  not,  in  might  of  arm 
And  courage,  what  thou  wert  when  waging  war 
Nine  years  without  a  pause  against  the  men 
Of  Troy  for  Helen’s  sake,  the  child  of  Jove, 
And  many  didst  thou  slay  in  deadly  strife, 

And  Priam’s  city,  with  its  spacious  streets, 


Book  XXII. 


205 


Was  taken  through  thy  counsels.  How  is  it 
That,  coming  to  thy  own  possessions  here 
And  thy  own  palace,  thou  dost  sadly  find 
Thy  ancient  valor  fail  thee  in  the  strife  280 

Against  the  suitors  ?  Now  draw  near,  my  friend, 
And  stand  by  me,  and  see  what  I  shall  do, 

And  own  that  Mentor,  son  of  Alcimus, 

Amid  a  press  of  foes  requites  thy  love.” 

She  spake,  but  gave  not  to  Ulysses  yet  285 

The  certain  victory ;  for  she  meant  to  put 
To  further  proof  the  courage  and  the  might 
Both  of  Ulysses  and  his  emulous  son. 

To  the  broad  palace  roof  she  rose,  and  sat 
In  shape  a  swallow.  Agelaiis  now,  290 

Damastor’s  son,  cheered  on  with  gallant  words 
His  friends ;  so  also  did  Amphimedon, 

Eurynomus,  and  Demoptolemus, 

Polyctor’s  son,  Peisander,  and  with  these 
Sagacious  Polybus.  These  six  excelled  29S 

In  valor  all  the  suitors  who  survived, 

And  they  were  fighting  for  their  lives.  The  bow 
And  the  fleet  shafts  had  smitten  down  their  peers. 
Thus  to  his  fellows  Agelaiis  spake  :  — 

“  O  friends,  this  man  will  now  be  forced  to  stay  300 
His  fatal  hand.  See,  Mentor  leaves  his  side, 

After  much  empty  boasting,  and  those  four 
Are  at  the  entrance  gate  alone.  Now  aim 
At  him  with  your  long  spears,  —  not  all  at  once, 
Let  six  first  hurl  their  weapons,  and  may  Jove  30s 


20  6 


The  Odyssey . 


Grant  that  we  strike  Ulysses  down,  and  win 
Great  glory  !  For  the  others  at  his  side 
We  care  but  little,  if  their  leader  fall.” 

He  spake  ;  they  hearkened.  Eagerly  they  cast 
Their  lances.  Pallas  made  their  aim  to  err.  31° 
One  struck  a  pillar  of  the  massive  pile; 

One  struck  the  panelled  door  ;  one  ashen  shaft, 
Heavy  with  metal,  rang  against  the  wall. 

And  when  they  had  escaped  that  flight  of  spears, 
Hurled  from  the  crowd,  the  much-enduring  man,  31s 
Ulysses,  thus  to  his  companions  said:  — 

“  Now  is  the  time,  my  friends,  to  send  our  spears 
Into  the  suitor-crowd,  who,  not  content 
With  wrongs  already  done  us,  seek  our  lives.” 

He  spake,  and,  aiming  opposite,  they  cast  329 
Their  spears.  The  weapon  which  Ulysses  flung 
Slew  Demoptolemus ;  his  son  struck  down 
Euryacles  ;  the  herdsman  smote  to  death 
Peisander,  and  the  swineherd  Elatus. 

These  at  one  moment  fell,  and  bit  the  dust  325 
Of  the  broad  floor.  Back  flew  the  suitor-crowd 
To  a  recess;  and  after  them  the  four 
Rushed  on,  and  plucked  their  weapons  from  the 
dead. 

Again  the  suitors  threw  their  spears ;  again 
Did  Pallas  cause  their  aim  to  err.  One  struck  330 
A  pillar  of  the  massive  pile,  and  one 
The  panelled  door ;  another  ashen  shaft, 

Heavy  with  metal,  rang  against  the  wall. 


Book  XXII. 


207 


Yet  did  the  weapon  of  Amphimedon 
Strike  lightly  on  the  wrist  Telemachus.  333 

The  brass  just  tore  the  skin.  Ctesippus  grazed 
The  shoulder  of  Eumseus  with  his  spear, 

Above  the  shield ;  the  spear  flew  over  it 
And  fell  to  earth.  Then  they  who  stood  beside 
The  sage  Ulysses,  versed  in  wiles,  once  more  340 
Flung  their  keen  spears.  The  spoiler  of  walled 
towns, 

Ulysses,  slew  Eurydamas ;  his  son 
Struck  down  Amphimedon  ;  the  swineherd  took 
The  life  of  Polybus  ;  the  herdsman  smote 
Ctesippus,  driving  through  his  breast  the  spear,  343 
And  called  to  him,  and  gloried  o’er  his  fall  :  — 

“  O  son  of  Polytherses,  prompt  to  rail ! 

Beware  of  uttering,  in  thy  foolish  pride, 

Big  words  hereafter ;  leave  it  to  the  gods, 

Mightier  are  they  than  we.  See,  I  repay  33° 

The  hospitable  gift  of  a  steer’s  foot, 

Which  once  the  great  Ulysses  from  thy  hand 
Received,  as  he  was  passing  through  this  hall.” 

Thus  spake  the  keeper  of  the  horned  herd. 
Meantime,  Ulysses  slew  Damastor’s  son  35s 

With  his  long  spear,  in  combat  hand  to  hand. 
Telemachus  next  smote  Evenor’s  son, 

Leiocritus.  He  sent  the  brazen  spear 
Into  his  bowels  ;  through  his  body  passed 
The  weapon,  and  he  fell  upon  his  face.  36° 

His  forehead  struck  the  floor.  Then  Pallas  held 


20  8 


The  Odyssey. 


On  high  her  fatal  aegis.  From  the  roof 
She  showed  it,  and  their  hearts  grew  wild  with  fear. 
They  fled  along  the  hall  as  flees  a  herd 
Of  kine,  when  the  swift  gadfly  suddenly  365 

Has  come  among  them,  and  has  scattered  them 
In  springtime,  when  the  days  are  growing  long. 
Meantime,  like  falcons  with  curved  claws  and  beaks, 
That,  coming  from  the  mountain  summits,  pounce 
Upon  the  smaller  birds,  and  make  them  fly  370 
Close  to  the  fields  among  the  snares  they  dread, 
And  seize  and  slay,  nor  can  the  birds  resist 
Or  fly,  and  at  the  multitude  of  prey 
The  fowlers’  hearts  are  glad  ;  so  did  the  four 
Smite  right  and  left  the  suitors  hurrying  through  375 
The  palace-hall,  and  fearful  moans  arose 
As  heads  were  smitten  by  the  sword,  and  all 
The  pavement  swam  with  blood.  Leiodes  then 
Sprang  forward  to  Ulysses,  clasped  his  knees, 

And  supplicated  him  with  winged  words  : —  380 

“  I  come,  Ulysses,  to  thy  knees.  Respect 
And  spare  me.  Never  have  I  said  or  done, 

Among  the  women  of  thy  household,  aught 
That  could  be  blamed,  and  I  essayed  to  check 
The  wrongs  of  other  suitors.  Little  heed  385 

They  gave  my  counsels,  nor  withheld  their  hands 
From  evil  deeds,  and  therefore  have  they  drawn 
Upon  themselves  an  evil  fate.  But  I, 

Who  have  done  nothing,  —  I  their  soothsayer,  — 
Must  I  too  die  ?  Then  is  there  no  reward  390 


Book  XXII. 


209 


Among  the  sons  of  men  for  worthy  deeds.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  frowned  and  said  : 

“  If  then,  in  truth,  thou  wert  as  thou  dost  boast, 

A  soothsayer  among  these  men,  thy  prayer 
Within  these  palace-walls  must  oft  have  been  39s 
That  far  from  me  might  be  the  blessed  day 
Of  my  return,  and  that  my  wife  might  take 
With  thee  her  lot,  and  bring  forth  sons  to  thee, 

And  therefore  shalt  thou  not  escape  from  death.” 

He  spake,  and  seizing  with  his  powerful  hand  400 
A  falchion  lying  near,  which  from  the  grasp 
Of  Agelaiis  fell  when  he  was  slain, 

Just  at  the  middle  of  the  neck  he  smote 
Leiodes,  while  the  words  were  on  his  lips, 

And  the  head  fell,  and  lay  amid  the  dust.  403 

Phemius,  the  son  of  Terpius,  skilled  in  song, 
Alone  escaped  the  bitter  doom  of  death. 

He  by  constraint  had  sung  among  the  train 
Of  suitors,  and  was  standing  now  beside 
The  postern  door,  and  held  his  sweet-toned  lyre,  410 
And  pondered  whether  he  should  leave  the  hall, 
And  sit  before  the  altar  of  the  great 
Herceian  Jove,  where,  with  Laertes,  once 
Ulysses  oft  had  burned  the  thighs  of  beeves, 

Or  whether  he  should  fling  himself  before  413 

Ulysses,  as  a  suppliant,  at  his  knees. 

This  to  his  thought  seemed  wisest,  —  to  approach 
Laertes’  son,  and  clasp  his  knees.  He  placed 
His  sweet  harp  on  the  floor,  between  the  cup 

N 


210 


The  Odyssey. 


And  silver-studded  seat,  and  went  and  clasped 
The  hero’s  knees,  and  said  in  winged  words  :  — 

“  I  come,  Ulysses,  to  thy  knees.  Respect 
And  spare  me.  It  will  be  a  grief  to  thee, 
Hereafter,  shouldst  thou  slay  a  bard,  who  sings 
For  gods  and  men  alike.  I  taught  myself  4-5 

This  art ;  some  god  has  breathed  into  my  mind 
Songs  of  all  kinds,  and  I  could  sing  to  thee 
As  to  a  god.  O,  seek  not  then  to  take 
My  life  !  Thy  own  dear  son  Telemachus 
Will  bear  me  witness  that  not  willingly  43- 

Nor  for  the  sake  of  lucre  did  I  come 
To  sing  before  the  suitors  at  their  feasts 
And  in  thy  palace,  but  was  forced  to  come 
By  numbers  and  by  mightier  men  than  I.” 

He  ceased  ;  Telemachus,  the  mighty,  heard  435 
And  thus  bespake  his  father  at  his  side  :  — 

“  Refrain  ;  smite  not  the  guiltless  with  the  sword  ; 
And  be  the  herald,  Medon,  also  spared, 

Who  in  our  palace  had  the  care  of  me 

Through  all  my  childhood  ;  if  he  be  not  slain  44a 

Already  by  Philcetius,  or  by  him 

Who  tends  the  swine,  or  if  he  have  not  met 

Thyself,  when  thou  wert  ranging  through  the  hall.” 

He  spake,  and  the  sagacious  Medon  heard, 

As  crouching  underneath  a  throne  he  lay,  us 

Wrapped  in  the  skin  just  taken  from  a  steer, 

To  hide  from  the  black  doom  of  death.  He  came 
From  where  he  lay,  and  quickly  flung  aside 


Book  XXII. 


21 1 


The  skin,  and,  springing  forward,  clasped  the  knees 
Of  the  young  prince,  and  said  in  winged  words  :  — 

“  Dear  youth,  behold  me  here  ;  be  merciful ;  451 

Speak  to  thy  father,  that  he  put  not  forth 
His  sword  to  slay  me,  eager  as  he  is 
For  vengeance,  and  incensed  against  the  men 
Who  haunt  these  halls  to  make  his  wealth  a  spoil,  455 
And  in  their  folly  hold  thyself  in  scorn.” 

He  spake  ;  the  sage  Ulysses  smiled  and  said  : 

“  Be  of  good  cheer,  since  this  my  son  protects 
And  rescues  thee.  Now  mayst  thou  well  perceive, 
And  say  to  other  men,  how  much  more  safe  460 
Is  doing  good  than  evil.  Go  thou  forth 
Out  of  this  slaughter  to  the  open  court, 

Thou  and  the  illustrious  bard,  and  sit  ye  there, 
While  here  within  I  do  what  yet  I  must.” 

He  spake  ;  they  moved  away  and  left  the  hall,  46s 
And  by  the  altar  of  almighty  Jove 
Sat  looking  round  them,  still  in  fear  of  death. 

Meantime,  Ulysses  passed  with  searching  look 
O’er  all  the  place,  to  find  if  yet  remained 
A  single  one  of  all  the  suitor-crew  47° 

Alive,  and  skulking  from  his  bitter  doom. 

He  saw  that  all  had  fallen  in  blood  and  dust, 

Many  as  fishes  on  the  shelving  beach 
Drawn  from  the  hoary  deep  by  those  who  tend 
The  nets  with  myriad  meshes.  Poured  abroad  47s 
Upon  the  sand,  while  panting  to  return 
To  the  salt  sea  they  lie,  till  the  hot  sun 


212 


The  Odyssey. 


Takes  their  life  from  them  ;  so  the  suitors  lay 
Heaped  on  each  other.  Then  Ulysses  took 
The  word,  and  thus  bespake  Telemachus  : — -  430 

“Go  now,  Telemachus,  and  hither  call 
The  nurse,  Dame  Eurycleia.  I  would  say 
Somewhat  to  her  that  comes  into  my  thought.” 

So  spake  the  chief.  Telemachus  obeyed 
The  word,  and  smote  the  door,  and  called  the 
■  nurse  :  —  485 

“  Come  hither,  ancient  dame,  who  hast  in  charge 
To  oversee  the  women  in  their  tasks ; 

My  father-calls  thee,  and  would  speak  with  thee.” 

He  spake ;  nor  flew  the  word  in  vain  ;  she  flung 
Apart  the  portals  of  those  stately  rooms,  490 

And  came  in  haste.  Before  her  went  the  prince. 
Among  the  corpses  of  the  slain  they  found 
Ulysses,  stained  with  blood,  and  grimed  with  dust. 
As  when  a  lion,  who  has  just  devoured 
A  bullock  of  the  pasture,  moves  away,  49s 

A  terror  to  the  sight,  with  breast  and  cheeks 
All  bathed  in  blood  ;  so  did  Ulysses  seem, 

His  feet  and  hands  steeped  in  the  blood  of  men. 
She,  when  she  saw  the  corpses  and  the  pools 
Of  blood,  and  knew  the  mighty  task  complete,  5°° 
Was  moved  to  shout  for  joy.  Ulysses  checked 
Her  eager  zeal,  and  said  in  winged  words  :  — 

“  Rejoice  in  spirit,  dame,  but  calm  thyself, 

And  shout  not.  To  exult  aloud  o’er  those 
Who  lie  in  death  is  an  unholy  thing. 


5°s 


Book  XXII. 


213 


The  pleasure  of  the  gods,  and  their  own  guilt, 

Brought  death  on  these ;  for  no  respect  had  they 

To  any  of  their  fellow-men,  —  the  good 

Or  evil,  —  whosoever  he  might  be 

That  came  to  them,  and  thus  on  their  own  heads  510 

They  drew  this  fearful  fate.  Now  name  to  me 

The  women  of  the  palace  ;  let  me  know 

Who  is  disloyal,  and  who  innocent.” 

Then  thus  the  well-beloved  nurse  replied  : 

“  My  son,  I  will  declare  the  truth.  There  dwell  515 
Here  in  thy  palace  fifty  serving-maids, 

Whom  we  have  taught  to  work,  to  comb  the  fleece 
And  serve  the  household.  Twelve  of  these  have 
walked 

The  way  of  shame.  To  me  they  give  no  heed, 

Nor  to  Penelope  herself.  Thy  son  520 

Has  just  now  grown  to  manhood,  and  the  queen 
Has  never  suffered  him  to  rule  the  maids ; 

But  let  me  now,  ascending  to  her  room,  — 

The  royal  bower,  —  apprise  thy  wife,  to  whom 
Some  deity  has  sent  the  gift  of  sleep.”  525 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  thus  : 

“  Wake  her  not  yet,  but  go  and  summon  all 
The  women  who  have  wrought  these  shameful 
deeds.” 

He  spake  ;  the  matron  through  the  palace  went 
To  seek  the  women,  and  to  bid  them  come.  530 
Meanwhile,  Ulysses  called  Telemachus, 

The  herdsman  and  the  swineherd  to  his  side, 


214 


The  Odyssey. 


And  thus  commanded  them  with  winged  words  :  — 

“  Begin  to  carry  forth  the  dead,  and  call 
The  women  to  your  aid ;  and  next  make  clean,  535 
With  water  and  with  thirsty  sponges,  all 
The  sumptuous  thrones  and  tables.  When  ye  thus 
Have  put  the  hall  in  order,  lead  away 
The  serving-maids,  and  in  the  space  between 
The  kitchen  vault  and  solid  outer  wall  540 

Smite  them  with  your  long  swords  till  they  give  up 
The  ghost,  and  lose  the  memory  evermore 
Of  secret  meetings  with  the  suitor-train.” 

He  spake  ;  the  women  came,  lamenting  loud 
With  many  tears,  and  carried  forth  the  dead,  54s 
Leaning  upon  each  other  as  they  went, 

And  placed  them  underneath  the  portico 
Of  the  walled  court.  Ulysses  gave  command, 
Hastening  their  task,  as  all  unwillingly 
They  bore  the  corpses  forth.  With  water  next,  ss° 
And  thirsty  sponges  in  their  hands,  they  cleansed 
The  sumptuous  thrones  and  tables.  Then  the 
prince, 

Telemachus,  with  shovels  cleared  the  floor, 

The  herdsman  and  the  swineherd  aiding  him, 

And  made  the  women  bear  the  rubbish  forth.  sss 
And  now  when  all  within  was  once  again 
In  seemly  order,  they  led  forth  the  maids 
From  that  fair  pile  into  the  space  between 
The  kitchen  vault  and  solid  outer  wall, 

A  narrow  space  from  which  was  no  escape,  560 


Book  XXII, ; 


215 


And  thus  discreet  Telemachus  began  :  — 

“  I  will  not  take  away  these  creatures’  lives 
By  a  pure  death,  —  these  who  so  long  have  heaped 
Reproaches  on  my  mother’s  head  and  mine, 

And  played  the  wanton  with  the  suitor-crew.”  565 
He  spake,  and  made  the  hawser  of  a  ship 
Fast  to  a  lofty  shaft ;  the  other  end 
He  wound  about  the  kitchen  vault.  So  high 
He  stretched  it  that  the  feet  of  none  who  hung 
On  it  might  touch  the  ground.  As  when  a  flock  570 
Of  broad-winged  thrushes  or  wild  pigeons  strike 
A  net  within  a  thicket,  as  they  seek 
Their  perch,  and  find  unwelcome  durance  there, 

So  hung  the  women,  with  their  heads  a-row, 

And  cords  about  their  necks,  that  they  might  die  57s 
A  miserable  death.  A  little  while, 

And  but  a  little,  quivered  their  loose  feet 
In  air.  They  led  Melanthius  from  the  hall 
And  through  the  porch,  cut  off  his  nose  and  ears, 
Wrenched  out  the  parts  of  shame,  a  bloody  meal  580 
For  dogs,  and  in  their  anger  from  the  trunk 
Lopped  hands  and  feet.  Then  having  duly  washed 
Their  feet  and  hands,  they  came  into  the  hall, 

And  to  Ulysses  ;  they  had  done  their  work. 

And  then  to  the  dear  nurse  Ulysses  said  : —  58s 

“  Bring  sulphur,  dame,  the  cure  of  noxious  air, 
And  fire,  that  I  may  purge  the  hall  with  smoke ; 
And  go,  and  bid  Penelope  come  down, 

With  her  attendant  women,  and  command 


21 6 


The  Odyssey. 


That  all  the  handmaids  of  the  household  come.”  590 
And  thus  in  turn  Dame  Eurycleia  spake  : 

“Well  hast  thou  said,  my  son,  but  suffer  me 
To  bring  thee  clothes,  a  tunic  and  a  cloak, 

Nor  with  those  rags  on  thy  broad  shoulders  stand 
In  thine  own  palace ;  it  becomes  thee  not.”  595 
Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  thus  : 

“  First  let  a  fire  be  kindled  in  this  hall.” 

He  spake,  and  Eurycleia,  the  dear  nurse, 

Obeyed,  and  brought  the  sulphur  and  the  fire. 
Ulysses  steeped  in  smoke  the  royal  pile. 

Both  hall  and  court.  The  matron,  passing  through 
The  stately  palace  of  Ulysses,  climbed 
The  stair  to  find  and  summon  all  the  maids. 

And  forth  they  issued,  bearing  in  their  hands 
Torches,  and,  crowding  round  Ulysses,  gave  605 
Glad  greeting,  seized  his  hands,  embraced  him, 
kissed 

His  hands  and  brow  and  shoulders.  The  desire 
To  weep  for  joy  o’ercame  the  chief ;  his  eyes 
O’erflowed  with  tears ;  he  sobbed  ;  he  knew  them  all. 


BOOK  XXIII. 

UP  to  the  royal  bower  the  matron  went 

With  an  exulting  heart,  to  tell  the  queen 
That  her  beloved  husband  was  within. 


Book  XXIII. 


2\y 


With  knees  that  faltered  not,  and  quick  light  step 
She  went,  and,  standing  by  her  mistress,  said  :  —  $ 
“  Awake,  Penelope,  dear  child,  and  see 
With  thine  own  eyes  what  thou  hast  pined  for  long. 
Ulysses  has  returned ;  thy  lord  is  here, 

Though  late,  and  he  has  slain  the  arrogant  crew 
Of  suitors,  who  disgraced  his  house,  and  made  m 
His  wealth  a  spoil,  and  dared  insult  his  son.” 

And  thus  discreet  Penelope  replied  : 

“The  gods,  dear  nurse,  have  made  thee  mad;  for 
they 

Have  power  to  change  the  wisest  men  to  fools, 

And  make  the  foolish  wise,  and  they  have  warped  is 
Thy  mind  once  sound.  How  canst  thou  mock  me 
thus, 

Amidst  my  sorrows,  with  such  idle  tales? 

Why  wake  me  from  the  pleasant  sleep  that  closed 
My  lids  so  softly?  Never  have  I  slept 
So  sweetly  since  Ulysses  went  from  me  20 

To  that  bad  city,  which  no  tongue  should  name. 

Go,  then  ;  return  into  the  lower  rooms. 

Had  any  of  my  women  save  thyself 
Brought  such  a  message  to  disturb  my  sleep, 

I  would  have  sent  her  back  into  the  hall  25 

With  angry  words  ;  thy  years  are  thy  excuse.” 

But  Eurycleia,  the  dear  nurse,  rejoined  : 

“Nay,  my  dear  child,  I  mock  thee  not.  Most  true 
It  is  that  thy  Ulysses  has  returned, 

And  here  he  is  at  home,  as  I  have  said.  30 

VOL.  11.  10 


2l8 


The  Odyssey. 


The  stranger  whom  they  scoffed  at  in  the  hall 
Is  he  j  and  long  Telemachus  has  known 
That  he  was  here,  but  wisely  kept  from  all 
His  father’s  secret,  till  he  should  avenge 
Upon  those  violent  men  their  guilty  deeds.”  3s 
She  ended,  and  her  mistress,  overjoyed, 

Sprang  from  her  couch,  embraced  the  aged  dame, 
And  wept,  and  said  to  her  in  winged  words  :  — 

“  Tell  me,  dear  nurse,  and  truly,  if  indeed 
Ulysses  have  returned  as  thou  hast  said.  40 

How  smote  he  those  proud  suitors  ?  —  he  alone, 
And  they  so  many,  gathered  in  the  hall.” 

And  thus  the  well-beloved  nurse  replied : 

“  I  saw  it  not,  nor  knew  of  it.  I  heard 

Only  the  moanings  of  the  slain,  while  we  45 

The  maids,  affrighted,  sat  in  a  recess 

Of  that  well-vaulted  chamber  ;  the  firm  doors 

Closed  us  all  in,  until  at  length  thy  son, 

Sent  by  his  father,  called  me  forth.  I  found 
Ulysses  standing  midst  the  dead  that  lay  50 

Heaped  on  each  other,  everywhere  along 
The  solid  pavement.  Thou  wouldst  have  rejoiced 
To  see  him  like  a  lion  with  the  stains 
Of  slaughter  on  him.  Now  the  suitors  lie 
Before  the  portals  of  the  palace-court,  55 

And  he  has  kindled  a  great  fire,  and  steeps 
In  smoke  the  noble  hall.  He  bade  me  come 
To  call  thee.  Follow  me,  that  ye  may  give 
Your  hearts  to  gladness,  —  for  ye  have  endured 


Book  XXIII. 


219 


Great  sorrows  both,  and  your  long-cherished  hope  c0 
Is  now  fulfilled.  He  hath  returned  alive 
To  his  dear  home,  and  finds  thee  and  his  son 
Yet  in  his  palace,  and  hath  terribly 
Avenged  himself  upon  the  guilty  men 
Who  under  his  own  roof  have  done  him  wrong.”  es 
Then  spake  the  sage  Penelope  again  : 

“  Beloved  nurse,  exult  not  overmuch, 

Nor  rashly  boast.  Well  is  it  known  to  thee, 

Were  he  to  come  beneath  this  roof  again, 

How  welcome  he  would  be  to  all,  but  most  7° 

To  me  and  to  the  son  to  whom  we  gave 
His  being.  Yet  thy  tidings  are  not  true. 

Some  one  of  the  immortals  must  have  slain 
The  arrogant  suitors,  angry  to  behold 
Their  foul  injustice  and  their  many  crimes  ;  75 

For  no  respect  had  they  to  mortal  man, 

Good  he  might  be,  or  bad,  whome’er  they  met ; 
And  therefore  have  they  made  an  evil  end. 

But  my  Ulysses  must  have  perished  far 
From  Ithaca,  cut  off  from  his  return.”  so 

Then  Eurycleia,  the  dear  nurse,  rejoined  : 

“  What  words  are  these,  my  child,  that  pass  thy  lips  ? 
Sayst  thou,  then,  that  thy  husband,  who  now  stands 
Upon  thy  hearthstone,  never  will  return  ? 

O  slow  of  faith  !  but  thou  wert  ever  thus.  s5 

Come,  then,  I  give  a  certain  proof.  I  saw 
Myself,  when  he  was  at  the  bath,  the  scar 
Left  on  him  by  the  white  tusk  of  a  boar, 


220 


The  Odyssey . 


And  would  have  told  thee,  but  he  laid  his  hands 
Upon  my  mouth,  and  would  not  suffer  me  9° 

To  bear  the  tidings,  such  his  forecast  was. 

Now  follow  me ;  I  give  my  life  in  pledge. 

If  I  deceive  thee,  slay  me  ruthlessly.” 

Then  spake  discreet  Penelope  again  : 

“  Dear  nurse,  though  thou  in  many  things  art  wise,  9s 
Think  not  to  scan  the  counsels  of  the  gods, 

A 

Who  live  forever.  Yet  will  we  descend, 

And  meet  my  son,  and  look  upon  the  slain, 

And  see  the  avenger  by  whose  hand  they  fell.” 

She  spake,  and  from  the  royal  bower  went  down,  100 
Uncertain  whether  she  should  stand  aloof 
And  question  there  her  lord,  or  haste  to  him 
And  clasp  his  hands  in  hers  and  kiss  his  brow. 

"'V 

But  having  passed  the  threshold  of  hewn  stone, 
Entering  she  took  her  seat  right  opposite  ios 

Ulysses,  in  the  full  glow  of  the  fire, 

Against  the  other  wall.  Ulysses  sat 

Beside  a  lofty  column  with  his  eyes 

Cast  down,  and  waiting  for  his  high-born  wife 

To  speak  when  she  had  seen  him.  Long  she  sat  no 

In  silence,  for  amazement  overpowered 

Her  senses.  Sometimes,  looking  in  his  eyes, 

She  saw  her  husband  there,  and  then  again, 

Clad  in  those  sordid  weeds,  she  knew  him  not. 
Then  spake  Telemachus,  and  chid  her  thus  : —  ns 
“  Mother,  unfeeling  mother !  hard  of  heart 
Art  thou  ;  how  else  couldst  thou  remain  aloof? 


Book  XXIII ; 


221 


How  keep  from  taking,  at  my  father’s  side, 

Thy  place,  to  talk  with  him,  and  question  him  ? 

No  other  wife  could  bring  herself  to  bear  120 

Such  distance  from  a  husband,  just  returned 
After  long  hardships,  in  the  twentieth  year 
Of  absence,  to  his  native  land  and  her. 

Mother  !  thy  heart  is  harder  than  a  stone.” 

And  thus  the  sage  Penelope  replied:  125 

“  Dear  child,  my  faculties  are  overpowered 
With  winder,  and  I  cannot  question  him, 

Nor  even  speak  to  him,  nor  fix  my  looks 

Upon  his  face.  But  if  it  be  indeed 

Ulysses,  and  he  have  returned,  we  soon  130 

Shall  know  each  other  ;  there  are  tokens  known 

To  both  of  us,  to  none  but  him  and  me.” 

She  ended,  and  the  much-enduring  chief 
Ulysses,  smiling  at  her  words,  bespake 
Telemachus  at  once,  in  winged  words  : — •  133 

“  Suffer  thy  mother,  O  Telemachus, 

To  prove  me  ;  she  will  know  me  better  soon. 

My  looks  are  sordid,  and  my  limbs  are  wrapped 
In  tattered  raiment,  therefore  does  she  think 
Meanly  of  me,  and  cannot  willingly  140 

Believe  that  I  am  he.  But  let  us  now 
Consider  what  most  wisely  may  be  done. 

He  who  hath  slain,  among  a  tribe  of  men, 

A  single  one  with  few  to  avenge  his  death, 

Flees  from  his  kindred  and  his  native  land  ; 

But  we  have  slain  the  champions  of  the  realm, 


143 


222 


The  Odyssey. 


The  flower  of  all  the  youth  of  Ithaca. 

Therefore,  I  pray  thee,  think  what  shall  be  done.” 

And  then  discreet  Telemachus  replied  : 

“  Look  thou  to  that,  dear  father  ;  for  they  say  150 
That  thou  of  all  mankind  wert  wont  to  give 
The  wisest  counsels.  None  of  mortal  birth 
In  this  was  deemed  thy  peer.  We  follow  thee 
With  cheerful  hearts  ;  nor  will  our  courage  fail, 

I  think,  in  aught  that  lies  within  our  power.”  155 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  thus  : 

“  Then  will  I  tell  thee  what  I  deem  most  wise. 

First  take  the  bath,  and  then  array  yourselves 
In  tunics,  bid  the  palace-maidens  choose 
Fresh  garments ;  let  the  godlike  bard,  who  bears  160 
The  clear-toned  harp,  be  leader,  and  strike  up 
A  melody  to  prompt  the  festive  dance, 

That  all  may  say  who  hear  it  from  without,  — 
Whether  the  passers  by  or  dwellers  near, — 

‘  It  is  a  wedding.’  Else  throughout  the  land  165 
The  rumor  of  the  slaughter  we  have  wrought 
Among  the  suitors  may  have  spread  before 
We  reach  our  wooded  farm,  and  there  consult 
Beneath  the  guidance  of  Olympian  Jove.” 

He  spake ;  they  hearkened  and  obeyed.  They  took 
The  bath,  and  then  they  put  their  garments  on.  170 
The  maids  arrayed  themselves  ;  the  godlike  bard 
Took  the  curved  harp,  and  woke  in  all  the  love 
Of  melody,  and  of  the  graceful  dance. 

The  spacious  pile  resounded  to  the  steps  17s 


Book  XXIII 


225 


Of  men  and  shapely  women  in  their  mirth, 

And  one  who  stood  without  was  heard  to  say  :  — 

“  Some  one,  no  doubt,  has  made  the  long-wooed 
queen 

His  bride  at  last ;  a  worthless  woman  she, 

Who  could  not,  for  the  husband  of  her  youth,  i&> 
Keep  his  fair  palace  till  he  came  again.” 

Such  words  were  said,  but  they  who  uttered  them 
Knew  little  what  had  passed.  Eurynome, 

The  matron  of  the  palace,  meantime  took 
Magnanimous  Ulysses  to  the  bath  185 

In  his  own  dwelling,  smoothed  his  limbs  with  oil, 
And  threw  a  gorgeous  mantle  over  him 
And  tunic.  Pallas  on  the  hero’s  head 
Shed  grace  and  majesty  ;  she  made  him  seem 
Taller  and  statelier,  made  his  locks  flow  down  19° 
In  curls  like  blossoms  of  the  hyacinth, 

As  when  a  workman  skilled  in  many  arts, 

And  taught  by  Pallas  and  Minerva,  twines 
A  golden  border  round  the  silver  mass, 

A  glorious  work  ;  so  did  the  goddess  shed  19s 

Grace  o’er  his  face  and  form.  So  from  the  bath 
He  stepped,  like  one  of  the  immortals,  took 
The  seat  from  which  he  rose,  right  opposite 
Penelope,  and  thus  addressed  the  queen  :  — 

“  Lady,  the  dwellers  of  the  Olympian  heights  200 
Have  given  thee  an  impenetrable  heart 
Beyond  all  other  women.  Sure  I  am 
No  other  wife  could  bring  herself  to  bear 


224 


The  Odyssey. 


Such  distance  from  a  husband  just  returned 
After  long  hardships,  in  the  twentieth  year  205 

Of  absence,  to  his  native  land  and  her. 

Come,  nurse,  prepare  a  bed,  where  by  myself 
I  may  lie  down  ;  an  iron  heart  is  hers.” 

To  this  the  sage  Penelope  replied  : 

“  Nay,  sir,  ’t  is  not  through  pride  or  disregard,  2x0 
Or  through  excess  of  wonder,  that  I  act 
Thus  toward  thee.  Well  do  I  remember  thee 
As  thou  wert  in  the  day  when  thy  good  ship 
Bore  thee  from  Ithaca.  Bestir  thyself, 

Dame  Eurycleia,  and  make  up  with  care  215 

A  bed  without  the  chamber,  which  he  framed 
With  his  own  hands  ;  bear  out  the  massive  bed, 
And  lay  upon  it  seemly  coverings, 

Fleeces  and  mantles  for  his  nightly  rest.” 

She  spake  to  try  her  husband  ;  but,  displeased,  220 
Ulysses  answered  thus  his  virtuous  queen  :  — 

“  O  woman,  thou  hast  said  unwelcome  words* 
Who  hath  displaced  my  bed  ?  That  task  were  hard 
For  long-experienced  hands,  unless  some  god 
Had  come  to  shift  its  place.  No  living  man,  225 
Even  in  his  prime  of  years,  could  easily 
Have  moved  it,  for  in  that  elaborate  work 
There  was  a  mystery  ;  it  was  I  myself 
Who  shaped  it,  no  one  else.  Within  my  court 
There  grew  an  olive-tree  with  full-leaved  boughs, 

A  tall  and  flourishing  tree  ;  its  massive  stem 
Was  like  a  column.  Round  it  I  built  up 


Book  XXIII. 


225 


A  chamber  with  cemented  stones  until 
The  walls  were  finished  ;  then  I  framed  a  roof 
Above  it,  and  put  on  the  well-glued  doors  23s 

Close  fitting.  Next  I  lopped  the  full-leaved  boughs, 
And,  cutting  off  the  trunk  above  the  root, 

Smoothed  well  the  stump  with  tools,  and  made  of  it 
A  post  to  bear  the  couch.  I  bored  the  wood 
With  wimbles,  placed  on  it  the  frame,  and  carved  240 
The  work  till  it  was  done,  inlaying  it 
With  silver,  gold,  and  ivory.  I  stretched 
Upon  it  thongs  of  oxhide  brightly  dyed 
In  purple.  Now,  O  wife,  I  cannot  know 
Whether  my  bed  remains  as  then  it  was,  245 

Or  whether  some  one  from  the  root  has  hewn 
The  olive  trunk,  and  moved  it  from  its  place.” 

He  spake,  and  her  knees  faltered  and  her  heart 
Was  melted  as  she  heard  her  lord  recount 
The  tokens  all  so  truly ;  and  she  wept,  250 

And  rose,  and  ran  to  him,  and  flung  her  arms 
About  his  neck,  and  kissed  his  brow,  and  said :  — 

“  Ulysses,  look  not  on  me  angrily, 

Thou  who  in  other  things  art  wise  above 
All  other  men.  The  gods  have  made  our  lot  255 
A  hard  one,  jealous  lest  we  should  have  passed 
Our  youth  together  happily,  and  thus 
Have  reached  old  age.  I  pray,  be  not  incensed, 
Nor  take  it  ill  that  I  embraced  thee  not 
As  soon  as  I  beheld  thee,  for  my  heart 
Has  ever  trembled  lest  some  one  who  conies 


10* 


o 


226 


The  Odyssey. 


Into  this  isle  should  cozen  me  with  words ; 

And  they  who  practise  fraud  are  numberless. 

The  Argive  Helen,  child  of  Jupiter, 

Would  ne’er  have  listened  to  a  stranger’s  suit  265 
And  loved  him,  had  she  known  that  in  the  years 
To  come  the  warlike  Greeks  would  bring  her  back 
To  her  own  land.  It  was  a  deity 
Who  prompted  her  to  that  foul  wrong.  Her  thought 
Was  never  of  the  great  calamity  27° 

Which  followed,  and  which  brought  such  woe  on  11s. 
But  now,  since  thou,  by  tokens  clear  and  true, 

Hast  spoken  of  our  bed,  which  human  eye 
Has  never  seen  save  mine  and  thine,  and  those 
Of  one  handmaiden  only,  Actoris,  —  275 

Her  whom  my  father  gave  me  when  I  came 
To  this  thy  palace,  and  who  kept  the  door 
Of  our  close  chamber,  —  thou  hast  won  my  mind 
To  full  belief,  though  hard  it  was  to  win.” 

She  spake,  and  he  wTas  moved  to  tears  ;  he  wept 
As  in  his  arms  he  held  his  dearly  loved  281 

And  faithful  wife.  As  welcome  as  the  land 
To  those  who  swim  the  deep,  of  whose  stout  bark 
Neptune  has  made  a  wreck  amidst  the  waves, 
Tossed  by  the  billow  and  the  blast,  and  few  285 
Are  those  who  from  the  hoary  ocean  reach 
The  shore,  their  limbs  all  crested  with  the  brine, 
These  gladly  climb  the  sea-beach,  and  are  safe,  — 
So  welcome  was  her  husband  to  her  eyes. 

Nor  would  her  fair  white  arms  release  his  neck,  290 


Book  XXIII. 


227 


And  there  would  rosy-fingered  Morn  have  found 
Both  weeping,  but  the  blue-eyed  Pallas  planned 
That  thus  it  should  not  be ;  she  stayed  the  night 
When  near  its  close,  and  held  the  golden  Morn 
Long  in  the  ocean  deeps,  nor  suffered  her  295 

To  yoke  her  steeds  that  bring  the  light  to  men, — 
Lampas  and  Phaethon,  swift  steeds  that  bear 
The  Morning  on  her  way.  Ulysses  then, 

The  man  of  forecast,  thus  bespake  his  queen  :  — 

“  Not  yet,  O  wife,  have  we  attained  the  close  300 
Of  all  our  labors.  One  remains  which  yet 
I  must  achieve,  toilsome,  and  measureless 
In  difficulty  ;  for  so  prophesied 
The  spirit  of  Tiresias,  on  the  day 
When  to  the  abode  of  Pluto  I  went  down  30s 

To  ask  the  seer  concerning  the  return 
Of  my  companions,  and  my  own.  But  now 
Seek  we  our  couch,  dear  wife,  that,  softly  laid, 

We  may  refresh  ourselves  with  welcome  sleep.” 

Then  spake  in  turn  the  sage  Penelope  :  310 

“  Whenever  thou  desirest  it  thy  couch 
Shall  be  made  ready,  since  the  gods  vouchsafe 
To  bring  thee  back  into  thy  pleasant  home 
And  to  thy  native  land.  But  now  that  thou 
Hast  spoken  of  it,  and  some  deity  3^5 

Is  prompting  thee,  declare  what  this  new  task 
May  be.  Hereafter  I  shall  hear  of  it, 

No  doubt,  nor  were  it  worse  to  know  it  now.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  thus  : 


228 


The  Odyssey. 


“  Dear  wife,  why  wilt  thou  ask  ?  why  press  me  thus  ? 
Yet  will  I  tell  thee  truly,  nor  will  keep  321 

Aught  from  thee,  though  thou  wilt  not  gladly  hear, 
Nor  I  relate.  Tiresias  bade  me  pass 
Through  city  after  city,  till  I  found 
A  people  who  know  not  the  sea,  nor  eat  325 

Their  food  with  salt,  who  never  yet  beheld 
The  red-prowed  galley,  nor  the  shapely  oars, 

Which  are  the  wings  of  ships.  And  this  plain  sign 
He  gave,  nor  will  I  keep  it  back  from  thee, 

That  when  another  traveller  whom  I  meet  330 

Shall  say  it  is  a  winnowing-fan  I  bear 
On  my  stout  shoulder,  there  he  bade  me  plant 
The  oar  upright  in  earth,  and  offer  up 
To  monarch  Neptune  there  a  ram,  a  bull, 

And  sturdy  boar,  and  then,  returning  home,  335 

Burn  hallowed  hecatombs  to  all  the  gods 

Who  dwell  in  the  broad  heaven,  each  one  in  turn. 

At  last  will  death  come  over  me,  afar 

From  ocean,  such  a  death  as  peacefully 

Shall  take  me  off  in  a  serene  old  age,  340 

Amid  a  people  prosperous  and  content. 

All  this,  the  prophet  said,  will  come  to  pass.” 

And  then  the  sage  Penelope  rejoined  : 

“  If  thus  the  immortals  make  thy  later  age 

The  happier,  there  is  hope  that  thou  wilt  find  34s 

Escape  from  evil  in  the  years  to  come.” 

So  talked  they  with  each  other.  Meantime  went 
Eurynome,  attended  by  the  nurse. 


Book  XXIII. 


229 


And  in  the  light  of  blazing  torches  dressed 
With  soft  fresh  drapery  a  bed  ;  and  when  350 

Their  busy  hands  had  made  it  full  and  high, 

The  aged  dame  withdrew  to  take  her  rest 

\ 

In  her  own  chamber,  while  Eurynome, 

Who  kept  the  royal  bower,  upheld  a  torch 
And  thither  led  the  pair,  and,  when  they  both  33s 
Were  in  the  chamber,  went  her  way.  They  took 
Their  place  delighted  in  the  ancient  bed. 

The  prince,  the  herdsman,  and  the  swineherd  ceased 
Meantime  to  tread  the  dance,  and  bade  the  maids 
Cease  also,  and  within  the  palace-rooms  360 

Dark  with  night’s  shadow,  sought  their  place  of  rest. 
Then  came  the  time  of  pleasant  mutual  talk, 

In  which  that  noblest  among  women  spake 
Of  wrongs  endured  beneath  her  roof  from  those 
Who  came  to  woo  her,  —  an  insatiate  crew,  —  365 

Who  made  of  beeves  and  fatlings  of  the  flock 
Large  slaughter,  and  drained  many  a  wine-cask  dry. 
Then  nobly  born  Ulysses  told  what  woes 
His  valor  brought  on  other  men  ;  what  toils 
And  suffering  he  had  borne  ;  he  told  her  all,  370 
And  she,  delighted,  heard  him,  nor  did  sleep 
Light  on  her  eyelids  till  his  tale  was  done. 

And  first  he  told  her  how  he  overcame 
The  people  of  Ciconia  ;  how  he  passed 
Thence  to  the  rich  fields  of  the  race  who  feed  37s 
Upon  the  lotus  ;  what  the  Cyclops  did, 

And  how  upon  the  Cyclops  he  avenged 


230 


The  Odyssey. 


The  death  of  his  brave  comrades,  whom  the  wretch 
Had  piteously  slaughtered  and  devoured. 

And  how  he  came  to  A3olus,  and  found  3G0 

A  friendly  welcome,  and  was  sent  by  him 

Upon  his  voyage  ;  yet ’t  was  not  his  fate 

To  reach  his  native  land ;  a  tempest  caught 

His  fleet,  and  far  across  the  fishy  deep 

Bore  him  away,  lamenting  bitterly.  38s 

And  how  he  landed  at  Telepylus, 

Among  the  Laestrigonians,  who  destroyed 
His  ships  and  warlike  comrades,  he  alone 
In  his  black  ship  escaping.  Then  he  told 
Of  Circe,  her  deceit  and  many  arts,  39° 

And  how  he  went  to  Pluto’s  dismal  realm 
I11  his  good  galley,  to  consult  the  soul 
Of  him  of  Thebes,  Tiresias,  and  beheld 
All  his  lost  comrades  and  his  mother,  —  her 
Who  brought  him  forth,  and  trained  him  when  a 
child.  395 

And  how  he  heard  the  Sirens  afterward, 

And  how  he  came  upon  the  wandering  rocks, 

The  terrible  Charybdis,  and  the  crags 
Of  Scylla,  — which  no  man  had  ever  passed 
In  safety;  how  his  comrades  slew  for  food  400 

The  oxen  of  the  Sun  ;  how  Jupiter, 

The  Thunderer,  with  a  bolt  of  fire  from  heaven 
Smote  his  swift  bark  ;  and  how  his  gallant  crew 
All  perished,  he  alone  escaped  with  life. 

And  how  he  reached  Ogygia’s  isle,  he  told,  403 


Book  XXIII : 


231 


And  met  the  nymph  Calypso,  who  desired 
That  he  would  be  her  husband,  and  long  time 
Detained  and  fed  him  in  her  vaulted  grot, 

And  promised  that  he  ne’er  should  die,  nor  know 
Decay  of  age,  through  all  the  days  to  come  ;  410 

Yet  moved  she  not  the  purpose  of  his  heart. 

And  how  he  next  through  many  hardships  came 
To  the  Phaeacians,  and  they  welcomed  him 
And  honored  him  as  if  he  were  a  god, 

And  to  his  native  country  in  a  bark  415 

Sent  him  with  ample  gifts  of  brass  and  gold 
And  raiment.  As  he  uttered  this  last  word, 

Sleep  softly  overcame  him  ;  all  his  limbs 
Lay  loose  in  rest,  and  all  his  cares  were  calmed. 

The  blue-eyed  Pallas  had  yet  new  designs ;  420 

And  when  she  deemed  Ulysses  was  refreshed 
With  rest  and  sleep,  in  that  accustomed  bed, 

She  called  the  Morning,  daughter  of  the  Dawn, 

To  rise  from  ocean  in  her  car  of  gold, 

And  shed  her  light  on  men.  Ulysses  rose  4=s 

From  his  soft  couch, and  thus  enjoined  his  spouse :  — 

“  O  wife  !  enough  of  misery  have  we  borne 
Already,  —  thou  in  weeping  for  my  long 
Unhappy  absence,  — I  for  years  withheld 
By  Jupiter  and  all  the  other  gods  430 

From  my  return  to  this  dear  land,  although 
I  pined  for  home.  Now  since  upon  this  couch 
We  take  the  place  so  earnestly  desired, 

Take  thou  the  charge  of  all  that  I  possess 


232 


The  Odyssey . 


Here  in  the  palace.  For  the  herds  and  flocks  433 
Which  those  high-handed  suitors  have  devoured, 

I  shall  seize  many  others  as  a  spoil ; 

The  rest  the  Greeks  will  bring  me,  till  my  stalls 
Are  filled  again.  I  hasten  to  my  farm 
Embowered  in  trees,  to  greet  the  aged  man  440 
My  excellent  father,  who  continually 
Grieves  for  me.  Prudent  as  thou  art,  I  give 
This  charge  ;  a  rumor,  with  the  rising  sun, 

Will  quickly  go  abroad  that  I  have  slain 

The  suitors  in  the  palace.  Now  withdraw,  443 

Thou  and  thy  maidens,  to  the  upper  room, 

And  sit  and  look  not  forth,  nor  ask  of  aught.” 

So  spake  the  chief,  and  on  his  shoulders  braced 
His  glorious  armor.  Then  he  called  his  son, 

The  herdsman,  and  the  swineherd,  bidding  them  450 
To  take  in  hand  their  weapons.  They  obeyed, 
And,  having  armed  themselves  in  brass,  they  threw 
The  portals  open.  As  they  all  went  forth, 

Ulysses  led  the  way.  The  early  light 

Was  on  the  earth,  but  Pallas,  shrouding  them  455 

In  darkness,  led  them  quickly  through  the  town. 


BOOK  XXIV. 


CYLLENIAN  Hermes  summoned  forth  the  souls 
Of  the  slain  suitors.  In  his  hand  he  bore 
The  beautiful  golden  wand,  with  which  at  will 


Book  XXIV. 


233 


He  shuts  the  eyes  of  men,  or  opens  them 
From  sleep.  With  this  he  guided  on  their  way  5 
The  ghostly  rout ;  they  followed,  uttering 
A  shrilly  wail.  As  when  a  flock  of  bats, 

Deep  in  a  dismal  cavern,  fly  about 
And  squeak,  if  one  have  fallen  from  the  place 
Where,  clinging  to  each  other  and  the  rock,  10 
They  rested,  so  that  crowd  of  ghosts  went  forth 
With  shrill  and  plaintive  cries.  Before  them  moved 
Beneficent  Hermes  through  those  dreary  ways, 

And  past  the  ocean  stream  they  went,  and  past 
Leucadia’s  rock,  the  portals  of  the  Sun,  is 

And  people  of  the  land  of  dreams,  until 
They  reached  the  fields  of  asphodel,  where  dwell 
The  souls,  the  bodiless  forms  of  those  who  die. 

And  there  they  found  the  soul  of  Peleus’  son. 

His  friend  Patroclus,  and  the  blameless  chief  20 

Antilochus,  and  Ajax,  who  excelled 

In  stature  and  in  form  all  other  Greeks 

Save  the  great  son  of  Peleus.  These  were  grouped 

Around  Achilles.  Then  approached  the  ghost 

Of  Agamemnon,  Atreus’  son  ;  he  seemed  25 

In  sorrow,  and  around  him  others  stood, 

Who  in  the  palace  of  ^Fgisthus  met 

Their  fate  and  died.  The  son  of  Peleus  took 

The  word,  and  spake  to  Agamemnon  thus  :  — 

“  Atrides,  we  had  thought  that  Jove,  who  wields  30 
The  thunder,  favored  thee,  through  all  thy  years, 
Beyond  all  other  men,  —  thou  didst  bear  rule 


234 


The  Odyssey. 


Over  so  many  and  such  valiant  men 
Upon  the  plain  of  Troy,  where  we  of  Greece 
Endured  such  sufferings.  Yet  all  too  soon  35 

The  cruel  doom  of  death,  which  no  man  born 
Of  woman  can  escape,  has  fallen  on  thee. 

O,  if  amid  the  honors  of  thy  sway 
That  doom  had  overtaken  thee,  while  yet 
In  Troy’s  far  realm,  then  would  the  assembled 
Greeks  40 

Have  built  a  tomb  to  thee  !  Thou  wouldst  have  left 
A  heritage  of  glory  to  thy  son  ; 

Now  hast  thou  died  a  most  unhappy  death.” 

And  then  the  soul  of  Agamemnon  said  : 
“Fortunate  son  of  Peleus,  godlike  chief  45 

Achilles,  who  didst  die  upon  the  field 
Of  Ilium,  far  from  Argos,  while  there  fell 
Around  thee  many  of  the  bravest  sons 
Of  Troy  and  Greece,  who  fought  for  thee,  and 
thou 

Wert  lying  in  thy  mighty  bulk,  amid  5° 

Whirlwinds  of  dust,  forgetful  evermore 
Of  horsemanship.  All  that  day  long  we  fought, 
Nor  stayed  our  hands  till  Jove,  to  part  us,  sent 
A  hurricane.  When  we  had  borne  thee  thence 
And  brought  thee  to  the  fleet,  upon  a  bier  55 

We  laid  thee,  pouring  o’er  thy  shapely  limbs 
Warm  water,  and  anointing  them  with  oil. 

Round  thee  the  Achaians  stood  in  tears,  hot  tears, 
And  cut  their  hair  away.  From  ocean’s  depth 


Book  XXIV 


235 


Thy  mother,  when  she  heard  the  tidings,  rose  60 
With  her  immortal  sea-nymphs.  Mournfully 
Came  o’er  the  waves  the  sound  of  their  lament. 
Trembled  the  Greeks  with  fear,  and,  rushing  forth, 
Would  have  sought  refuge  in  their  roomy  ships, 

If  Nestor,  wise  in  ancient  lore,  and  known  e5 

For  counsels  ever  safe,  had  not  restrained 
Their  haste,  and  thus  declared  his  prudent 
thought : — 

“  £  Stay,  Argives,  youths  of  Greece  ;  think  not  of 
flight ! 

It  is  his  mother  ;  from  the  sea  she  comes  69 

To  her  dead  son,  and  brings  her  deathless  nymphs.’ 
“He  spake;  his  words  withheld  the  valiant 
Greeks 

From  flight.  And  now  around  thee  came  and  stood 

The  daughters  of  the  Ancient  of  the  Deep, 

Lamenting  bitterly.  Upon  thy  corse 

They  put  ambrosial  robes.  The  Muses  nine  75 

Bewailed  thee  with  sweet  voices,  answering 

Each  other.  Then  wouldst  thou  have  seen  no  one 

Of  all  the  Argive  host  with  eyes  unwet, 

The  Muses’  song  so  moved  them.  Seventeen  days 
And  nights  we  mourned  thee,  —  both  the  immortal 
ones  80 

And  mortals.  On  the  eighteenth  day  we  gave 
Thy  body  to  the  fire,  and  at  the  pile 
Slew  many  fading  ewes,  and  many  an  ox 
With  crooked  horns.  In  raiment  of  the  gods 


236 


The  Odyssey. 


The  fire  consumed  thee  ’midst  anointing  oils  ss 
And  honey.  Many  heroes  of  our  host 
In  armor  and  in  chariots,  or  on  foot, 

Contended  round  thy  funeral  pyre  in  games, 

And  mighty  was  the  din.  And  when  at  length 
The  fires  of  Vulcan  had  consumed  thy  flesh,  9° 
We  gathered  up  at  morning  thy  white  bones, 
Achilles,  pouring  over  them  pure  wine 
And  fragrant  oils.  Thy  mother  brought  a  vase 
Of  gold,  which  Bacchus  gave,  she  said,  the  work 
Of  Vulcan  the  renowned,  and  in  it  now,  95 

Illustrious  son  of  Peleus,  thy  white  bones 
Are  lying,  and  with  thine  are  mingled  those 
Of  dead  Patroclus  Mencetiades. 

Apart  we  placed  the  ashes  of  thy  friend 

Antilochus,  whom  thou  didst  honor  most  100 

After  the  slain  Patroclus.  O’er  all  these 

The  sacred  army  of  the  warlike  Greeks 

Built  up  a  tomb  magnificently  vast 

Upon  a  cape  of  the  broad  Hellespont, 

There  to  be  seen,  far  off  upon  the  deep,  105 

By  those  who  now  are  born,  or  shall  be  bom 
In  future  years.  Thy  mother,  having  first 
Prayed  to  the  gods,  appointed  noble  games, 

Within  the  circus,  for  the  Achaian  chiefs. 

% 

Full  often  have  I  seen  the  funeral  rites 
Of  heroes,  when  the  youth,  their  chieftain  dead, 
Were  girded  for  the  games,  and  strove  to  win 
The  prizes ;  but  I  most  of  all  admired 


Book  XXIV 


237 


Those  which  the  silver-footed  Thetis  gave 
To  mark  thy  burial,  who  wert  loved  by  all  ns 

The  immortals.  So  thou  hast  not  lost  by  death 
Thy  fame,  Achilles,  and  among  the  tribes 
Of  men  thy  glory  will  be  ever  great ; 

But  what  hath  it  availed  me  to  have  brought 
The  war  on  Ilium  to  an  end,  since  Jove  120 

Doomed  me  to  be  destroyed  on  my  return, 

Slain  by  vUgisthus  and  my  guilty  wife  ?  ” 

So  talked  they  with  each  other.  Now  approached 
The  herald  Argus-queller,  bringing  down 
The  souls  of  suitors  by  Ulysses  slain.  ™ s 

Both  chiefs  moved  toward  them,  wondering  at  the 
sight. 

The  soul  of  Agamemnon,  Atreus’  son, 

Knew  well-renowned  Amphimedon,  whose  birth 
Was  from  Melanthius,  and  by  whom  he  once 
Was  welcomed  to  his  house  in  Ithaca  ;  13° 

And  him  the  son  of  Atreus  first  bespake  :  — 

“Amphimedon,  what  sad  mischance  has  brought 
You  all,  who  seem  like  chosen  men,  and  all 
Of  equal  age,  into  these  drear  abodes 
Beneath  the  earth  ?  *T  were  hard  indeed  to  find,  13s 
In  a  whole  city,  nobler  forms  of  men. 

Has  Neptune  wrecked  you  in  your  ships  at  sea 
With  fierce  winds  and  huge  waves,  or  armed  men 
Smitten  you  on  the  land,  while  carrying  off 
Their  beeves  and  sheep,  or  fighting  to  defend  140 
Your  wives  and  city  ?  Tell  me,  for  I  claim 


238 


The  Odyssey. 


To  have  been  once  your  guest.  Reinemberest  thou 
I  lodged  in  thy  own  palace  when  I  came 
With  godlike  Menelaus,  and  besought 
Ulysses  to  unite  his  gallant  fleet  145 

To  ours,  and  sail  for  Troy.  A  whole  month  long 
Were  we  in  crossing  the  wide  sea,  and  hard 
We  found  the  task  to  gain  as  our  ally 
Ulysses,  the  destroyer  of  walled  towns.” 

The  soul  of  dead  Amphimedon  replied  :  150 

“  Atrides  Agamemnon,  far  renowned, 

And  king  of  men,  I  well- remember  all 
Of  which  thou  speakest;  I  will  now  relate, 

And  truly,  how  we  met  our  evil  end. 

We  wooed  the  wife  of  the  long-absent  chief  155 
Ulysses  ;  she  rejected  not  nor  yet 
Granted  our  suit,  detested  as  it  was, 

But,  meditating  our  destruction,  planned 
This  shrewd  device.  She  laid  upon  the  loom 
Within  her  rooms  a  web  of  delicate  threads,  160 
Ample  in  length  and  breadth,  and  thus  she  said 
To  all  of  us  :  ‘Young  princes,  wdio  are  come 
To  woo  me,  —  since  Ulysses  is  no  more, 

My  noble  husband,  —  urge  me  not,  I  pray, 

To  marriage,  till  I  finish  in  the  loom —  165 

That  so  my  threads  may  not  be  spun  in  vain  — 

A  funeral  vesture  for  the  hero-chief 
Laertes,  when  his  fatal  hour  shall  come, 

With  death’s  long  sleep ;  else  some  Achaian  dame 
Might  blame  me,  should  I  leave  without  a  shroud  170 


Book  XXIV 


239 


Him  who  in  life  possessed  such  ample  wealth/ 

Such  were  her  words,  and  easily  they  won 
Upon  our  generous  minds.  So  went  she  on 
Weaving  that  ample  web,  and  every  night 
Unravelled  it  by  torchlight.  Three  full  years  175 
She  practised  thus,  and  by  the  fraud  deceived 
The  Grecian  youths ;  but  when  the  hours  had 
brought 

The  fourth  year  round,  a  woman  who  knew  all 

Revealed  the  mystery,  and  we  ourselves 

♦ 

Saw  her  unravelling  the  ample  web.  isu 

Thenceforth  constrained,  and  with  unwilling  hands, 
She  finished  it.  And  when  at  length  she  showed 
The  vesture  she  had  woven,  the  broad  web 
That  she  had  bleached  to  brightness  like  the  sun’s 
Or  like  the  moon’s,  some  hostile  deity  185 

Brought  back  Ulysses  to  a  distant  nook 
Of  his  own  fields,  and  to  his  swineherd’s  lodge. 

And  thither  also  came  in  his  black  ship 
His  son,  returning  from  the  sandy  coast 
Of  Pylos.  Thence  the  twain,  when  they  had  planned 
To  slay  the  suitors,  came  within  the  walls  191 

Of  the  great  city  ;  first  Telemachus, 

And  after  him  Ulysses,  with  his  guide 
The  swineherd.  He  was  clad  in  sordid  weeds, 
And  seemed  a  wretched  beggar,  very  old,  19s 

Propped  on  a  staff.  In  that  disguise  of  rags 
None  knew  him,  as  he  suddenly  appeared, 

Not  even  the  oldest  of  us  all.  Harsh  words 


240 


The  Odyssey. 


And  blows  we  gave  him.  He  endured  them  all 
Awhile  with  patience,  smitten  and  reviled  200 

In  his  own  palace.  Moved  at  length  by  Jove, 

He  and  his  son  Telemachus  bore  off 
The  shining  weapons  from  the  hall,  to  lie 
In  a  far  chamber,  and  barred  all  the  doors. 

Then,  prompted  by  her  husband’s  craft,  the  queen 
Proposed  a  game  of  archery,  with  bow  soe 

And  rings  of  hoary  steel,  to  all  of  us 
Ill-fated  suitors.  This  drew  on  our  death. 

Not  one  of  us  could  bend  that  sturdy  bow, 

None  had  the  strength.  But  as  it  passed  from  us  210 
Into  Ulysses’  hands,  we  loudly  chid 
The  bearer,  and  forbade  him,  but  in  vain. 
Telemachus  alone  with  stern  command 
Bade  him  deliver  it.  When  in  his  hands 
The  much-enduring  chief,  Ulysses,  took  215 

The  bow,  he  drew  the  string  with  ease,  and  sent 
A  shaft  through  all  the  rings.  He  sprang  and  stood 
Upon  the  threshold  ;  at  his  feet  he  poured 
The  winged  arrows,  cast  a  terrible  glance 
Around  him,  and  laid  King  Antinoiis  dead,  220 
Then  sent  the  fatal  shafts  at  those  who  stood 
Before  him ;  side  by  side  they  fell  and  died. 

Some  god,  we  saw,  was  with  them,  as  they  rushed 
Upon  us  mightily,  and  chased  us  through 
The  palace,  slaying  us  on  every  side  ;  225 

And  fearful  were  the  groans  of  dying  men, 

As  skulls  were  cloven,  and  the  pavement  swam 


Book  XXIV 


241 


With  blood.  Such,  Agamemnon,  was  the  fate 
By  which  we  perished.  Now  our  bodies  lie 
Neglected  at  the  palace  ;  for  not  yet  230 

Our  kindred,  dwelling  in  our  homes,  have  heard 
The  tidings,  nor  have  come  to  cleanse  our  wounds 
From  the  dark  blood,  and  lay  us  on  the  bier 
With  tears,  —  such  honors  as  are  due  the  dead.” 

In  turn  the  soul  of  Agamemnon  spake  :  235 

“  Son  of  Laertes,  fortunate  and  wise, 

Ulysses!  thou  by  feats  of  eminent  might 
And  valor  dost  possess  thy  wife  again. 

And  nobly  minded  is  thy  blameless  queen, 

The  daughter  of  Icarius,  faithfully  240 

Remembering  him  to  whom  she  gave  her  troth 
While  yet  a  virgin.  Never  shall  the  fame 
Of  his  great  valor  perish,  and  the  gods 
Themselves  shall  frame,  for  those  who  dwell  on 
earth, 

Sweet  strains  in  praise  of  sage  Penelope.  24s 

Not  such  was  she  who  treacherously  slew 
The  husband  of  her  youth,  —  she  of  the  house 
Of  Tyndarus.  Her  name  among  mankind 
Shall  be  the  hateful  burden  of  a  song ; 

And  great  is  the  dishonor  it  has  brought  250 

On  women,  even  the  faithful  and  the  good.” 

So  talked  they  with  each  other,  standing  there 
In  Pluto’s  realm  beneath  the  vaulted  earth. 
Meantime  Ulysses,  hastening  from  the  town, 

Came  to  the  fair  fields  of  Laertes,  tilled  2SS 


VOL.  11. 


11 


p 


242 


The  Odyssey. 


With  care.  Laertes,  after  years  of  toil, 

Acquired  them.  There  his  dwelling  stood  ;  a  shed 
Encircled  it,  where  ate  and  sat  and  slept 
The  servants  of  the  household,  who  fulfilled 
His  slightest  wish.  An  old  Sicilian  dame 
Was  there,  who  waited,  in  that  distant  spot, 

On  her  old  master  with  assiduous  care. 

And  then  Ulysses  to  his  followers  said  :  — 

“  Go  into  that  fair  dwelling,  and  with  speed 
Slay  for  our  feast  the  fattest  of  the  swine.  265 

I  go  to  prove  my  father ;  I  would  learn 
Whether  he  knows  me  when  he  sees  my  face, 

Or  haply  knows  me  not,  so  long  away.” 

He  spake,  and  laid  his  weapons  in  their  hands. 
Straight  toward  the  house  they  went.  Ulysses 
passed  270 

Into  the  fruitful  orchard,  there  to  prove 
His  father.  Going  down  and  far  within 
The  garden-plot,  he  found  not  Dolius  there, 

Nor  any  of  the  servants,  nor  his  sons. 

All  were  abroad,  old  Dolius  leading  them.  275 

They  gathered  thorns  to  fence  the  garden-grounds. 
There,  delving  in  that  fertile  spot,  around 
A  newly  planted  tree,  Ulysses  saw 
His  father  only,  sordidly  arrayed 
In  a  coarse  tunic,  patched  and  soiled.  He  wore  280 
Patched  greaves  of  bullock’s  hide  upon  his  thighs, 
A  fence  against  the  thorns  ;  and  on  his  hands 
Gloves,  to  protect  them  from  the  prickly  stems 


Book  XXIV 


243 


Of  bramble  ;  and  upon  his  head  a  cap 
Of  goatskin.  There  he  brooded  o’er  his  grief.  285 
Him  when  the  much-enduring  chief  beheld, 

Wasted  with  age  and  sorrow-worn,  he  stopped 
Beside  a  lofty  pear-tree’s  stem  and  wept, 

And  pondered  whether  he  should  kiss  and  clasp 
His  father  in  his  arms,  and  tell  him  all,  203 

How  he  had  reached  his  native  land  and  home, 

Or  question  first  and  prove  him.  Musing  thus, 

It  pleased  him  to  begin  with  sportive  words ; 

And  thus  resolved,  divine  Ulysses  drew 

Near  to  his  father  stooping  at  his  task,  295 

And  loosening  the  hard  earth  about  a  tree, 

And  thus  the  illustrious  son  accosted  him  :  — 

“  O  aged  man  !  there  is  no  lack  of  skill 
In  tending  this  fair  orchard,  which  thy  care 
Keeps  flourishing  ;  no  growth  is  there  of  fig,  300 
Vine,  pear,  or  olive,  or  of  plants  that  grow 
In  borders,  that  has  missed  thy  friendly  hand. 

Yet  let  me  say,  and  be  thou  not  displeased, 

Thou  art  ill  cared  for,  burdened  as  thou  art 

With  years,  and  squalid,  and  in  mean  attire.  30s 

It  cannot  be  that  for  thy  idleness 

Thy  master  treats  thee  thus  ;  nor  is  there  seen 

Aught  servile  in  thy  aspect,  —  in  thy  face 

Or  stature  ;  thou  art  rather  like  a  king  ; 

Thou  seemest  one  who  should  enjoy  the  bath  310 
And  banquet,  and  lie  soft,  —  for  this  befits 
Old  men  like  thee.  Now  say,  and  tell  me  true, 


244 


The  Odyssey. 


Who  may  thy  master  be  ?  whose  orchard  this 
Which  thou  dost  tend?  And,  more  than  this,  de¬ 
clare, 

For  much  I  long  to  know,  if  I  am  come  31s 

To  Ithaca,  as  I  just  now  was  told 

By  one  who  met  me  as  I  came,  —  a  man 

Not  overwise,  who  would  not  stop  to  tell 

What  I  desired  to  learn,,  nor  bear  to  hear 

My  questions,  when  I  asked  him  if  a  guest  320 

Of  mine  were  living  yet  in  health,  or  dead 

And  in  the  realm  of  Pluto.  Let  me  speak 

Of  him,  and  mark  me  well,  I  pray  ;  I  lodged 

Once,  in  my  native  land,  a  man  who  came 

Into  my  house,  and  never  stranger  yet  32s 

More  welcome  was  than  he.  He  was  by  birth 

Of  Ithaca,  he  said,  Laertes’  son, 

And  grandson  of  Arcesias.  Him  I  led 
Beneath  my  roof,  and  hospitably  lodged, 

And  feasted  in  the  plenty  of  my  home,  330 

And  gave  such  gifts  as  might  become  a  host,  — 
Seven  talents  of  wrought  gold,  a  silver  cup 
All  over  rough  with  flowers,  twelve  single  cloaks, 
Twelve  mats,  twelve  mantles  passing  beautiful, 

And  tunics  twelve,  and,  chosen  by  himself,  333 
Twelve  graceful  damsels,  skilled  in  household  arts.” 

And  then  his  father  answered,  shedding  tears  : 

“  Thou  art  indeed,  O  stranger,  in  the  land 
Of  which  thou  dost  inquire,  but  wicked  men 
And  lawless  now'  possess  it.  Thou  hast  given 


340 


Book  XXIV 


245 


Thy  generous  gifts  in  vain  ;  yet  hadst  thou  found 
Ulysses  living  yet  in  Ithaca, 

Then  would  he  have  dismissed  thee  recompensed 
With  gifts  and  liberal  cheer,  as  is  the  due 
Of  him  who  once  has  been  our  host.  Yet  say,  345 
And  truly  say,  how  many  years  have  passed 
Since  thou  didst  lodge  my  son,  if  he  it  was, 

Thy  hapless  guest,  whom,  far  away  from  home 
And  all  his  friends,  the  creatures  of  the  deep, 

And  the  foul  birds  of  air,  and  beasts  of  prey,  35° 
Already  have  devoured.  No  mother  mourned 
His  death  and  wrapped  him  in  his  shroud,  nor  I, 
His  father  j  nor  did  chaste  Penelope, 

His  consort  nobly  dowered,  bewail  the  man 
She  loved  upon  his  bier  with  eyes  dissolved  355 
In  tears,  as  fitting  was,  —  an  honor  due 
To  those  who  die.  Now,  further,  truly  tell, 

For  I  would  learn,  what  is  thy  name,  and  whence 
Thou  comest,  from  what  tribe,  thy  city  where, 

And  who  thy  parents.  Where  is  the  good  ship  360 
At  anchor  which  has  brought  thee  and  thy  friends  ? 
Or  hast  thou  landed  from  another’s  bark, 

Which  put  thee  on  the  shore  and  left  the  isle  ?” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  thus  : 

“  I  will  tell  all  and  truly.  I  am  come  365 

From  Alybas  ;  a  stately  dwelling  there 
Is  mine,  Apheidas  is  my  father,  son 
Of  royal  Polypemon,  and  my  name 
Eperitus.  Some  deity  has  warped 


246 


The  Odyssey. 


My  course  astray  from  the  Sicanian  coast, 

And  brought  me  hitherward  against  my  will. 

My  bark  lies  yonder,  stationed  by  the  field 
Far  from  the  city.  This  is  the  fifth  year 
Since  parting  with  me  thy  Ulysses  left 
My  native  land  for  his,  ill-fated  man  ! 

Yet  there  were  flights  of  birds  upon  the  right 
Of  happy  presage  as  he  sailed,  and  I 
Dismissed  him  cheerfully,  and  cheerfully 
He  wrent.  We  hoped  that  we  might  yet  become 
Each  other’s  guests,  exchanging  princely  gifts.” 

He  spake,  and  a  dark  cloud  of  sorrow  came 
Over  Laertes.  With  both  hands  he  grasped 
The  yellow  dust,  and  over  his  white  head 
Shed  it  with  piteous  groans.  Ulysses  felt 
His  heart  within  him  melted  ;  the  hot  breath 
Rushed  through  his  nostrils  as  he  looked  upon 
His  well-beloved  father,  and  he  sprang 
And  kissed  and  clasped  him  in  his  arms,  and  said  : 

“  Nay,  I  am  he,  my  father ;  I  myself 
Am  he  of  whom  thou  askest.  I  am  come 
To  mine  own  country  in  the  twentieth  year. 

But  calm  thyself,  refrain  from  tears,  and  grieve 
No  more,  and  let  me  tell  thee,  in  a  word, 

I  have  slain  all  the  suitors  in  my  halls, 

And  so  avenged  their  insolence  and  crimes.” 

And  then  Laertes  spake  again,  and  said  : 

“  If  now  thou  be  Ulysses,  my  lost  son, 

Give  some  plain  token,  that  I  may  believe.” 


Book  XXIV. 


24  7 


Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  thus  : 

“First,  then,  behold  with  thine  own  eyes  the  scar 400 
Which  once  the  white  tusk  of  a  forest  boar 
Inflicted  on  Parnassus,  when  I  made 
The  journey  thither,  by  thy  own  command, 

And  by  my  gracious  mother’s,  to  receive 

Gifts  which  her  father,  King  Autolycus,  405 

Once  promised,  when  he  came  to  Ithaca. 

And  listen  to  me  further ;  let  me  name 

The  trees  which  in  thy  well-tilled  orchard  grounds 

Thou  gavest  me ;  I  asked  them  all  of  thee, 

When  by  thy  side  I  trod  the  garden  walks,  410 

A  little  boy.  We  went  among  the  trees, 

And  thou  didst  name  them.  Of  the  pear  thirteen, 
And  of  the  apple  ten  thou  gavest  me, 

And  forty  fig-trees  ;  and  thou  didst  engage 
To  give  me  fifty  rows  of  vines,  each  row  41s 

Of  growth  to  feed  the  winepress.  Grapes  are  there 
Of  every  flavor  when  the  hours  of  Jove 
Shall  nurse  them  into  ripeness  from  on  high.” 

He  spake  ;  a  trembling  seized  the  old  man’s  heart 
And  knees,  as  he  perceived  how  true  were  all  420 
The  tokens  which  Ulysses  gave.  He  threw 
Round  his  dear  son  his  arms.  The  hardy  chief, 
Ulysses,  drew  him  fainting  to  his  heart. 

But  when  the  old  man’s  strength  revived,  and  calm 
Came  o’er  his  spirit,  thus  he  spake  again  : —  42s 

“O  father  Jove,  assuredly  the  gods 
Dwell  on  the  Olympian  height,  since  we  behold 


248 


The  Odyssey . 


The  arrogant  suitors  punished  for  their  crimes. 

Yet  much  I  fear  lest  all  the  Ithacans 

Throng  hither,  and  send  messages  to  rouse  430 

Against  us  all  the  Cephallenian  states.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  thus  : 

“  Take  courage  ;  let  no  thought  like  that  disturb 
Thy  mind  ;  but  let  us  hasten  to  the  house. 
Telemachus  is  there,  with  whom  I  sent  435 

The  herdsman  and  the  swineherd,  bidding  them 
Make  ready  with  all  speed  our  evening  meal.” 

Thus  talked  the  twain,  and  toward  the  dwelling  took 
Their  way,  and  entering  the  commodious  rooms 
They  found  Telemachus,  and  by  his  side  440 

The  herdsman  and  the  keeper  of  the  swine, 
Dividing  for  the  feast  the  plenteous  meats, 

And  mingling  the  dark  wine.  Then  to  the  bath 
Came  the  Sicilian  dame,  and  ministered 
To  the  large-souled  Laertes,  and  with  oil  445 

Anointed  him,  and  wrapped  a  sumptuous  cloak 
About  him.  Pallas  gave  the  monarch’s  limbs 
An  ampler  roundness  ;  taller  to  the  sight 
He  stood,  and  statelier.  As  he  left  the  bath, 

His  son  beheld  with  wonder  in  his  eyes,  45° 

So  like  a  god  Laertes  seemed,  and  thus 
Ulysses  said  to  him  in  winged  words  :  — 

“  Some  one  among  the  ever-living  gods 
Hath  surely  shed,  O  father,  on  thy  form 
And  aspect  all  this  grace  and  majesty.”  455 

The  sage  Laertes  answered  :  “  Father  Jove, 


Book  XXIV 


249 


And  Pallas  and  Apollo !  would  that  I 
Were  now  as  when  I  took  the  citadel 
Of  Nericus,  the  strongly  built,  beside 
The  sea-shore  of  Epirus,  leading  on  4&> 

My  Cephallenians  !  With  such  strength  as  then, 
Armed  for  the  fray,  I  would  have  met  and  fought 
The  suitors  in  the  palace  yesterday, 

And  struck  down  many  lifeless  in  the  hall, 

And  greatly  would  thy  spirit  have  rejoiced.”  46s 
So  talked  they  with  each  other.  When  they  all 
Ceased  from  their  task,  and  saw  their  meal  prepared, 
They  sat  them  down  in  order  on  the  thrones 
And  seats,  and  each  put  forth  his  hand  and  shared 
The  banquet.  Now  approached  an  aged  man,  470 
Dolius,  attended  by  his  sons,  who  came 
Weary  with  toil,  for  the  Sicilian  dame, 

The  nurse  who  reared  them,  went  and  summoned 
them,  — 

She  who  in  his  late  age  with  faithful  care 
Cherished  the  father.  These,  when  at  the  board  47s 
They  saw  Ulysses,  and  knew  who  he  was, 

Stopped  in  the  hall  astonished.  Instantly 
Ulysses  called  to  them  with  friendly  words  :  — 

“  Sit  at  the  board,  old  man  ;  let  none  of  you 
Give  way  to  blank  amazement.  Know  that  we,  480 
Though  keen  our  appetite  for  this  repast, 

Have  waited  long,  expecting  your  return.” 

He  spake,  and  Dolius  sprang  with  outstretched 


arms 


250 


The  Odyssey. 


And  seized  Ulysses  by  the  hand,  and  kissed 
The  wrist;  and  thus  in  winged  words  he  spake:  — 

“  Dear  master  !  since  thou  art  returned  to  us,  486 
Who  longed  and  yet  expected  not  to  see 
Thy  face  again,  —  since  some  divinity 
Has  led  thee  hither,  —  hail !  and  great  may  be 
Thy  happiness,  and  may  the  gods  bestow  49° 

All  blessings  on  thee  !  But  declare,  for  I 
Would  gladly  know,  if  sage  Penelope 
Have  heard  the  tidings  yet  of  thy  return, 

Or  must  we  send  them  by  a  messenger.” 

Ulysses,  the  sagacious,  answered  thus  :  495 

“  My  aged  friend,  she  knows  already  all. 

Why  wouldst  thou  take  that  care  upon  thyself?” 

He  spake,  and  Dolius  on  a  polished  seat 
Sat  down,  but  round  the  great  Ulysses  came 
His  sons,  and  welcomed  him  with  loving  words,  500 
And  hung  upon  his  hand,  and  then  they  took 
Their  places  by  their  father.  So  they  sat 
Beneath  Laertes’  roof,  and  banqueted. 

Now  through  the  city  meantime  swiftly  ran 
The  rumor  that  the  suitors  all  had  met  s°s 

A  bloody  death.  No  sooner  had  men  heard 
The  tidings  than  they  came  with  cries  and  moans 
Before  the  palace,  moving  to  and  fro. 

Each  carried  forth  his  dead,  and  gave  to  each 
His  funeral  rites,  except  to  those  who  came  510 
From  distant  cities  ;  these  they  put  on  board 
Swift-sailing  galleys  of  the  fishermen, 


Book  XXIV. 


251 


That  they  might  bear  them  home.  And  then  they 
came 

Sorrowing  together  in  the  market-place. 

There,  when  the  assembly  now  was  full,  arose  515 
Eupeithes  and  addressed  them.  In  his  heart 
Was  sorrow,  that  could  never  be  consoled, 

For  his  slain  son  Antinoiis,  who  was  first 

To  fall  before  Ulysses.  Weeping  rose 

The  father,  and  harangued  the  assembly  thus  :  — 

“  Great  things,  indeed,  my  friends,  hath  this  man 
done  521 

For  us  Achaians.  Many  valiant  men 
He  gathered  in  his  ships  and  led  abroad, 

And  lost  his  gallant  ships,  and  lost  his  men  : 

And  now,  returning,  he  has  put  to  death  52s 

The  best  of  all  the  Cephallenian  race. 

Come,  then,  and  ere  he  find  a  safe  retreat 
In  Pylos,  or  in  hallowed  Elis,  where 
The  Epeians  rule,  pursue  him ;  endless  shame 
Will  be  our  portion  else,  and  they  who  live  530 
In  future  years  will  hear  of  our  disgrace. 

If  we  avenge  not  on  these  men  of  blood 

The  murder  of  our  sons  and  brothers,  life 

Will  not  be  sweet  to  me,  and  I  would  go 

At  once,  and  gladly,  down  among  the  dead.  533 

Rise,  then,  and  fall  upon  them  ere  they  flee.” 

So  spake  he,  weeping ;  and  the  Greeks  were 
moved 

With  pity  as  they  heard  him.  Now  appeared 


252 


The  Odyssey . 


The  herald  Medon  and  the  sacred  bard, 

As,  rising  from  the  sleep  of  night,  they  left  540 

The  palace  of  Ulysses.  They  stood  forth 
Amid  the  multitude,  who  all  beheld 
With  wonder.  Then  sagacious  Medon  spake  :  — 

“  Give  ear,  ye  men  of  Ithaca,  and  know 
That  not  without  the  approval  of  the  gods  54s 

Ulysses  hath  done  this.  I  saw,  myself, 

One  of  the  immortals  taking  part  with  him, 

In  all  things  like  to  Mentor.  Now  the  god 
Standing  before  Ulysses  strengthened  him 
For  combat,  and  now  drove  the  routed  band  530 
Of  suitors  through  the  hall ;  in  heaps  they  fell.” 

He  spake,  and  all  who  heard  were  pale  with  fear. 
The  aged  hero,  Halitherses,  son 
Of  Mastor,  then  came  forward ;  he  alone 
Knew  what  was  past  and  what  was  yet  to  come,  535 
And,  wisely  judging,  to  the  assembly  said  :  — 

“  Hear  now  my  words,  ye  men  of  Ithaca. 
Through  your  own  wrong  all  this  has  come  to  pass. 
To  me  ye  would  not  hearken,  nor  obey 
When  Mentor,  shepherd  of  the  people,  spake.  560 
On  the  mad  doings  of  your  sons  ye  put 
No  curb,  nor  checked  the  guilty  insolence 
That  dared  to  waste  the  substance  and  insult 
The  consort  of  a  man  of  eminent  worth, 

Who,  so  they  thought,  would  nevermore  return.  563 
Now  be  it  as  I  counsel ;  let  usnot 
Go  forth  to  draw  down  evil  on  our  heads.” 


Book  XXIV 


253 


He  spake ;  but  more  than  half  the  assembly 
rushed 

Abroad  with  shouts ;  the  others  kept  their  place 
Together.  Ill  the  augur’s  speech  had  pleased  570 
The  most.  Eupeithes  had  persuaded  them. 

They  flew  to  arms,  and  when  they  had  put  on 
The  glittering  brass,  they  mustered  in  close  ranks 
Before  the  spacious  city.  At  their  head 
Eupeithes  led  them  on,  who  madly  deemed  57s 
Himself  the  avenger  of  his  slaughtered  son. 

Yet  he  from  that  encounter  nevermore 
Was  to  return  ;  his  fate  o’ertook  him  there. 

Then  Pallas  thus  addressed  Saturnian  Jove: 
“Our  Father,  son  of  Saturn,  king  of  kings,  580 
Tell  me,  I  pray,  the  purpose  of  thy  heart 
Yet  unrevealed.  Shall  there  be  cruel  wrar 
And  deadly  combats,  or  wilt  thou  ordain 
That  these  shall  henceforth  dwell  in  amity  ?  ” 

And  cloud-compelling  Jove  made  answer  thus  :  585 
“  My  child,  why  ask  me  ?  Was  it  not  with  thee 
A  cherished  purpose,  that,  returning  home, 

Ulysses  amply  should  avenge  himself 
Upon  the  suitors?  Do,  then,  as  thou  wilt. 

Yet  this,  as  the  most  fitting,  I  advise.  590 

Now  that  the  great  Ulysses  has  avenged 
His  wrongs,  let  there  be  made  a  faithful  league 
With  oaths,  and  let  Ulysses  ever  reign ; 

And  we  will  cause  the  living  to  forget 

Their  sons  and  brothers  slain,  and  all  shall  dwell  59s 


254 


The  Odyssey. 


In  friendship  as  they  heretofore  have  dwelt, 

And  there  shall  be  prosperity  and  peace.” 

He  spake,  and  eager  as  she  was  before, 
Encouraged  by  his  words,  the  goddess  plunged 
Down  from  the  summits  of  the  Olympian  mount.  6oo 
Now  when  they  all  had  feasted  to  the  full, 

The  much-enduring  chief,  Ulysses,  said  : 

“  Go,  one  of  you,  and  see  if  they  are  near.” 

He  spake  ;  a  son  of  Dolius  at  his  word 
Went  forth,  and,  coming  to  the  threshold,  stopped.  605 
He  saw  them  all  at  hand,  and  instantly 
Bespake  Ulysses  thus,  with  winged  words  : 

“They  are  upon  us  ;  we  must  arm  at  once.” 

He  spake  ;  they  rose,  and  quickly  were  in  arms. 
Four  were  Ulysses  and  his  friends,  and  six  610 
The  sons  of  Dolius.  Old  Laertes  then, 

A 

And  Dolius,  put  on  armor  with  the  rest, 
Gray-headed  as  they  were,  for  now’  their  aid 
Was  needed.  When  they  all  had  clad  themselves 
In  shining  brass,  they  threw  the  portals  wide  615 
And  sallied  forth,  Ulysses  at  their  head. 

Now  Pallas,  daughter  of  almighty  Jove, 

Drew  near  them.  She  had  taken  Mentor’s  form 
And  Mentor’s  voice.  The  much-enduring  chief, 
Ulysses,  saw  her  and  rejoiced,  and  said  620 

To  his  beloved  son,  Telemachus  :  — 

“  Now  wilt  thou,  of  thyself,  Telemachus, 

Bethink  thee,  when  thou  minglest  in  the  fray 
That  tries  men’s  valor,  not  to  cast  disgrace 


Book  XXIV. 


255 


Upon  thy  forefathers,  —  a  race  renowned  625 

For  manly  daring  over  all  the  earth.” 

And  thus  discreet  Telemachus  replied: 

“  Nay,  if  thou  wilt,  my  father,  thou  shalt  see 
That  by  no  lack  of  valor  shall  I  cast, 

As  thou  hast  said,  dishonor  on  thy  race.”  630 

Laertes  heard  them,  and  rejoiced,  and  said: 

“  O  what  a  day  for  me,  ye  blessed  gods, 

Is  this  !  With  what  delight  I  see  my  son 
And  grandson  rivals  on  the  battle-field.” 

And  then  the  blue-eyed  Pallas,  drawing  near  635 
Laertes,  said  :  “  Son  of  Arcesias,  loved 
By  me  beyond  all  others  of  my  friends, 

Pray  to  Jove’s  blue-eyed  daughter,  and  to  Jove, 

And  brandish  thy  long  spear,  and  send  it  forth.” 

So  Pallas  spake,  and  breathed  into  his  frame  640 
Strength  irresistible.  The  aged  chief 
Prayed  to  the  daughter  of  almighty  Jove, 

And  brandished  his  long  spear  and  sent  it  forth. 

It  smote  Eupeithes  on  the  helmet’s  cheek. 

The  brass  stayed  not  the  spear,  the  blade  passed 
through,  643 

And  heavily  Eupeithes  fell  to  earth, 

His  armor  clashing  round  him  as  he  fell. 

Then  rushed  Ulysses  and  his  valiant  son 
Forward,  the  foremost  of  their  band,  and  smote 
'Their  foes  with  swords  and  lances  double-edged,  650 
And  would  have  struck  them  down  to  rise  no  more, 
If  Pallas,  daughter  of  the  god  who  bears 


256 


The  Odyssey. 


The  aegis,  had  not  with  a  mighty  voice 
Commanded  all  the  combatants  to  cease  :  — 

“  Stay,  men  of  Ithaca  ;  withhold  your  hands  6SS 
From  deadly  combat.  Part,  and  shed  no  blood.” 

So  Pallas  spake,  and  they  grew  pale  with  awe, 
And  fear-struck ;  as  they  heard  her  words  they 
dropped 

Their  weapons  all  upon  the  earth.  They  fled 
Townward  as  if  for  life,  while  terribly  660 

The  much-enduring  chief  Ulysses  raised 
His  voice,  and  shouted  after  them,  and  sprang 
Upon  them  as  an  eagle  darts  through  air. 

Then  Saturn’s  son  sent  down  a  bolt  of  fire ; 

It  fell  before  his  blue-eyed  daughter’s  feet,  665 

And  thus  the  goddess  to  Ulysses  called  :  — 

“  Son  of  Laertes,  nobly  born  and  wise, 

Ulysses,  hold  thy  hand  ;  restrain  the  rage 
Of  deadly  combat,  lest  the  god  who  wields 
The  thunder,  Saturn’s  son,  be  wroth  with  thee.”  67o 
She  spake,  and  gladly  he  obeyed  ;  and  then 
Pallas,  the  child  of  aegis-bearing  Jove, 

Plighted,  in  Mentor’s  form  with  Mentor’s  voice, 

A  covenant  of  peace  between  the  foes. 


END  OF  VOL.  II. 


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